For the Common Good
by RyneC
Summary: The members of Team Avatar try to pick up their lives after the attack of Kuvira. But their rest is short lived. ( I will use most characters of the Legend of Korra (because they are all awesome), but I will mainly focus on Korra and Asami).
1. A Shortend Vacation

**I don't own The Legend of Korra. That honour belongs to its wonderfull writers. **

* * *

Chapter one: A Shortened Vacation

* * *

'So the flower goes over here?' Korra hesitantly held the tile between her fingers with a frown on her face.

'That's a legitimate move…' Asami said.

'Which means that it's a bad move, right?' Looking at the non-bender with squinted eyes. Asami shrugged her shoulders and pretended to have no clue about the quality of the move. Korra slowly put the tile down on the board and sat back.

'Okay, let's see.' Asami pressed her index finger against her lips as she was in deep strategic thought. After ten long seconds her hand moved to the board and in one swell swoop she captured five pieces of Korra.

'What!? You knew that would happen!' Asami laughed at the baffled face of the Avatar.

'It's not fair! You're way to good at Pai Sho and I'm just a beginner.'

'I'm sorry, that was a bit unnecessary. You're actually doing great for someone who just learned the rules.' Asami smiled, meaning every word she just said. Korra pouted and let herself fall on her back in the soft grass.

'Does that mean we stop playing?' Asami asked.

Asami had brought a travel sized Pai Sho game on their trip in the spirit world. When Korra had found out she made fun of Asami, calling her a Pai Sho addict. But after walking the spirit world for four days, Korra wanted to learn how to play and share in Asami's addiction. She could see the appeal of the game, but Asami was occasionally cruel when it came down to defeating Korra. Maybe it was pay back for making fun of her. Korra got up again.

'I think I got it now. Restart? Maybe I can last three rounds without losing half of my tiles, this time.'

'Okay, but I wouldn't count on it.' Asami said with a grin.

'You are quite the merciless teacher.' Korra complained.

'Just a little tough love.' Asami declared.

'Korra? Asami?' A familiar voice came from behind Korra. She turned and saw Jinora's spirit appearing just a few foot away.

'Jinora! Everything okay?' Korra asked, worried about the sudden visit.

'Everything's okay on the other end. I'm was send to ask how long you were planning to stay in the spirit world.' Jinora said.

'Hmmm, I don't know. Why? Are we needed for something?' Korra asked suspiciously. They, whoever 'they' was, wouldn't send someone just for a fun update.

'Raiko requested a meeting on the day after tomorrow. You two are invited.' Korra sighed deeply. She was enjoying her time with Asami and five days didn't seem long enough for a well-deserved holiday.

'How important is it?'

'Hmm, I don't know. He wants to talk about a new project or something. Daddy hasn't got the details yet, but apparently it's important. So I was send to find you.'

'Why so secretive!? If Raiko wants me to attend one of his stupid meetings, then he should say what's it about. I don't have to appear every time he snaps his fingers. I have a life besid…' Korra felt Asami's hand on her shoulder.

'We will be at the meeting.' Asami said calmly.

'What? We don't have to. Raiko always calls for meetings, even about the most irrelevant things!' Raiko's meetings were personal nightmares for Korra. They were long, boring and usually amounted to nothing.

'Korra, I really love our vacation here. But the earth keeps on spinning and with the damage to Republic City and the first presidential elections in the Earth Kingdom, a lot of change is coming our way. I'm surprised we lasted five days without anyone interrupting us.'

'Hmmph.' Korra knew Asami was right, but she didn't had to like it.

'Fine, we will be home tomorrow evening in time for the meeting.' She said in a grumpy voice.

'I'm sorry to ruin your trip.'Jinora said, looking at the ground.

'No, it's not your fault. Besides, the trip isn't ruined, just shortened.' Korra felt bad for lashing out in front of Jinora. Jinora looked at the pair and smiled.

'I'm looking forward to seeing you again on Air Temple Island.'

'Me too.' Korra responded with a smile.

'So, what did you two do in the spirit world?' Jinora asks in hope to end the conversation on a more pleasant topic.

'We walked through the forest and saw some amazing spirits. We swam in a lake, slept under the stars. Now I'm teaching Korra how to play Pai Sho.' Asami answered.

'Pai Sho? That's so cool!'

'You play?' Korra asked raising an eyebrow. She never saw a Pai Sho board on Air Temple Island.

'Yes, mom taught as. She used to play when she was a kid. She was pretty good as well.' Jinora walked over and took a look at the board.

'You're not doing very well Korra.' She stated.

'Yeah, thanks for the update Jinora. I hadn't noticed.' Korra said, waving Jinora away from the board. Asami couldn't help but laugh.

'Aren't there any flying bison you have to feed or something?' Korra asked in pretended annoyance.

'Oh, that's right! Kai and I are on Lemur duty. Three days ago a new group of Lemurs arrived on the island. We need to keep them out of the food storage.' Jinora said.

'Wow, is it even psychical possible to have more Lemurs on Air Temple Island?' Asami asked in genuine awe.

'We reached our Lemur limit. But you just can't send those little guys away. So have a nice stay and see you tomorrow!' After some good-bye's Jinora waved and walked off.

'So ready to get your butt kicked again?' Asami said pointing to the Pai Sho board.

'Oh, you just wait. I got it all figured out now!' Korra said enthusiastically, starting another lost battle.

* * *

It was dark and a beautiful display of stars and colours was painted across the sky. Every night Korra had found them a sheltered place to sleep. They have slept in a cave, a tree and an improvised hut. Last night they slept in a field under the night sky. Normally Asami liked to have some kind of enclosure to sleep in, just to be safe. But with Korra she knew she hadn't anything to fear. This night they would spend in another tree. A hole with the size of a medium tent in a tree trunk provided enough room for the both of them. Asami was checking the contents of her backpack, which were lying on the ground in neat piles. She had only one backpack, but she packed it tightly. She was making sure that she brought everything home tomorrow, she didn't want to clutter up the spirit world.

'Can I come in?' Korra asked from outside the tree.

'Of course you can.' Korra crawled through the small opening.

'What are you doing?'

'Packing up for tomorrow, so I don't have to worry about that in the morning.'

'Smart.' Korra picked up a notebook. In it were sketches of Satomobiles and what seemed to be a map of Republic City's infrastructure. The last pages were filled with sketches of spirits and different kinds of flora in spirit world.

'Wow, these are pretty amazing.' Asami glanced over to see what Korra was talking about.

'Thanks, I'm better at technical drawings though.' Asami said, blushing a little bit. Not that there was anything embarrassing in the notebook. She just wasn't used to people looking at her private drawings.

'These look good too, when did you draw all these pictures?' asked Korra, not recalling seeing Asami with her notebook.

'At night. You were asleep.'

'Really? Do you ever sleep?'

'Of course, but sometimes it hard to fall asleep.' There was something sad in Asami's voice. Korra wanted to ask if she was okay, but saw the way Asami refocused on her bag and decided that she probably didn't want to talk about it.

'Do you want to sleep in the field again? That was pretty cool last night.'

'Yeah, sounds good. Just let me finish this first.' Korra nodded, laying the notebook back on the floor.

After ten minutes, Asami had checked all her belongings and they were neatly stored away in her bag.

'Okay, I'm rea…' She looked at Korra, who was peacefully asleep. _We're are not going to the field tonight._ Asami thought to herself. She crawled over to Korra's bag, since the space in the tree was too low for her to stand. She grabbed Korra's blanket and laid it over her. Without making a sound, Asami quickly got dressed for bed. She laid out her sleeping gear next to Korra, who looked beautiful with the moonlight draped over her sleeping body. Her facial expression was serene. Asami had to force herself not to stroke Korra's cheek with her hand. She wouldn't want to disturb her rest. During the trip they had held hands and even kissed on some occasions, usually in the moonlight. But neither of them had said anything about it. It was clear to Asami how she felt towards Korra and Korra's feeling towards her became more apparent. Still neither of them had the need to vocalize those feelings. Asami felt they were tiptoeing around that subject for months now, but at least she was pretty sure that her love wasn't an one way street. She moved a little closer to the Avatar until their arms almost touched. There she lay on her back, listing to the Avatar's steady breathing. _Life can turn out wonderfully strange._ With that thought sleep engulfed her.

* * *

The next morning Korra woke up with a tickling sensation in her noise. She opened her eyes slowly. Something warm was laying against the right side of her body, making it impossible to move her hand freely. With her left hand she wiped a couple of times under her nose. Then she realized what the warm thing was or better who. Asami was asleep with her head on Korra's shoulder. Her right arm laid across Korra's stomach and her right leg was draped over Korra's leg. Some black hairs found their way up Korra's face and were tickling her nose. Once she realized this a faint red shade crossed her face. With a soft groan she adjusted her arm to get more blood circulation in it.

'Hmmm?' She heard close by her ear. Asami lifted her head a little.

'Good morning.' Korra answered with a smile. Asami shot up, realizing her unintended sleeping position.

'It's okay, you don't have to get up.' Korra said who just started to enjoy the warm presence at her side. With a half sleepy grin Asami returned to Korra's shoulder.

'What time is it?' Asami asked, still half asleep.

'I don't know. We're still in the spirit world.' Asami had asked the same question every morning on their short vacation. It was probably the first thing she thought about in the morning. Being the CEO of Future Industries made time crucial to Asami. But in the spirit world the question couldn't be really answered. There were no clocks. You could guess the time by looking at the sun and the light outside, but that didn't get you further than morning, midday, evening or night. So Korra replied by reminding Asami every morning that they were in the spirit world and that there were no meetings she had to attend.

'I keep forgetting.' Asami apologized.

'Judging from the light, it must be pretty early. Our last day in the spirit world.' Korra with a sigh.

'You make it sound so dramatic.'

'Don't you want to stay longer?' Asami had to think about that for a while.

'Yes, I would love nothing more in the world than stay here with you forever. But that's simply impossible.'

'I know. Still, I will miss you.'

'I won't suddenly disappear once we're back in Republic City. Plus, our return gives me the chance to take you out for dinner.' Asami tried to sound casual, doing her proposal. She figured that lying here like they did, maybe she could make her intentions a bit clearer.

'Oh, you don't have to. You know you're always welcome to eat with us on Air Temple Island.' Korra said, totally missing the point. Asami bit her lip at the disappointing answer. Maybe she should be more straightforward with Korra.

'Korra, I'm asking you out on a date. A simple 'yes' would suffice.'

'Oh! Huh…sorry…Yes, of course I would like to have dinner with you.' Korra stumbled over her words realizing her stupid misinterpretation. Asami laughed lightly in her arms.

'That's good to hear.'


	2. Moving On

Chapter 2: Moving On

* * *

Asami dried her hair after a long relaxing shower. She had loved the spirit world, but she also missed her bathroom with its soft towels. After returning to Republic City, Asami decided to go home instead of going to Air Temple Island with Korra. She wanted to, but she figured it was better if she could check up on Future Industries before the meeting with Raiko tomorrow. With the towel around her neck she dialled the number of her Head Office. It was around dinner time, but maybe she could get a hold of Tadao. He had been an engineer working for Future Industries as long as Asami could remember. After her dad got captured, he stayed an employee. When Asami was planning to bring her biplane to the market he had his doubts, since Future Industry was struggling after the arrest of her father. But he kept working for her and his work efforts never disappointed. So Asami promoted him to vice-president of Future Industries. When she was away or occupied otherwise, he would take over the company till she was back. She was truly lucky to have such a loyal man working for her.

'Tadao here.' He was still at the office. _Thank the spirits!_

'Hello, it's me. I'm back from the spirit world. I just thought I check in before my meeting with Raiko.'

'Welcome back miss Sato. So you heard about Raiko's meeting?'

'Yes, I was informed about it yesterday.'

'The details of the meeting are on your desk in your mansion together with some new business plans, reports on the progress of our building projects in the city, some summaries of meetings that took place, those kind of things.'

'Okay, so everything went smoothly these past days?'

'Yes, some plans need revision, but Raiko agreed with the majority of your new city plans. He wanted to wait for your return before signing any contracts. But, nothing special. All though, there was an anonymous letter from the Fire Nation directed to you personally. It was send to the head office, but the envelope stated clearly that it was a private matter addressed to you.' _That's weird, I don't know anyone from the Fire Nation. Maybe a new corporation trying to expand in the market._ Asami thought to herself.

'Okay.'

'I also left you a pile of newspapers of the past days. I should congratulate you.' Tadao continued. Asami raised an eyebrow.

'Really? For what?'

'You are officially the most wanted bachelorette of Republic City. The Daily Republic holds a yearly poll to decide who is the most popular bachelor and bachelorette. You are number one, just above the Avatar. So congrats.' Asami could hear amusement in his voice. He knew she hated the Daily Republic. It was more a gossip magazine than a newspaper. Ill-informed stories took up most of its space. It was quite frankly a waste of paper.

'Thanks, I guess.' Asami responded a bit annoyed.

'Haha, I can hear that you are thrilled. It isn't a bad article though. They compliment you on your achievements. So see it as free advertising.'

'In that case, I'm grateful. Thanks for keeping an eye on everything.'

'Of course, see you tomorrow.'

'Bye, and thanks again.' Asami hung up the phone. Time for a quick dinner before drowning herself in work. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

After dinner Tenzin and Korra sat down in the gazebo on the edge of Air Temple Island. They were in meditating position, but Korra was afraid that if she started meditating she might fall asleep. Although that was the method Meelo successfully used. To make things worse, Naga had crept up behind her and now she was leaning against the warm and soft fur of her oldest friend.

'So what is tomorrow's meeting all about?' Korra asked fighting off a yawn. Tenzin opened his eyes and saw Korra lounging against the polar bear dog. He sighed and resigned to the fact that he and Korra weren't going to meditate this evening.

'Raiko is planning a three day festival in Republic City for all the nations. He wants to strengthen the ties between the nations in this newfound peace as to avoid another radical separation like the one Kuvira wanted to bring about. He wants it to take place before the upcoming elections in the Earth Kingdom, so that the new president will think fondly of the United Republic of Nations.' Korra nodded. To her surprise this didn't sound like a dull or stupid plan.

'So he wants to invite people from all over the world?'

'Yes, at least all the influential people.'

'That sounds pretty cool.'

'Tomorrow you also have a meeting with Prince Wu.'

'Really? You already planned my whole day? I'm not even home for a full day!'

'Sorry Korra, but this can't wait. Prince Wu has to return to the Earth Kingdom to inform the citizens of the elections. We thought it was best as Prince Wu announced those himself. The big cities, like Ba Sing Se, are already up to date. But the small villages, especially the ones in the desert, are harder to reach. Prince Wu is going to ask you to accompany him to those villages to bring his message.'

'Jeez, that sounds like a lot of work.' Korra actually didn't mind the amount of work, but this mission would take weeks, maybe months. That meant she had to leave Republic City for a certain amount of time and that meant leaving Asami.

'It is your duty to bring balance to the world and this election will hopefully bring balance and peace in the Earth Kingdom.'

'I know. I'm not opposing it. I just wish I had a little more time to breath and relax.' Korra stared of into the night that was falling over the island. Tenzin looked at her and gave her a fatherly smile.

'One day the world may calm down and you will get your well-deserved vacation. Now is just not the right time.' Korra nodded again and smiled back at Tenzin.

* * *

Asami pinched the bridge of her nose. A piercing headache was lingering behind her eyes. With a thud she let her pen fall on her desk. She was already working for hours and although she read most of the documents on her desk, there was still much work left to be done. Maybe she had to take a break. She grabbed the pile of papers and set them in front of her. She skimmed through the first ones. There wasn't a lot of news, but then again she hadn't been away for that long.

After a while her eye fell on the Daily Republic. _I could use a little bit of light entertainment. _She thought. She turned the pages till she found her own image. They used the photograph of the time she opened the new train station. She read the inscription under the photograph: 'Asami Sato, young, beautiful, intelligent, elegant and rich. Characteristics that even the Avatar can't compete against.' _Wow, they really went overboard on that one._ She turned the page and saw a picture of an awkward smiling Korra. 'Bender of the four elements, saviour of the world, who wouldn't want to take a stroll with Avatar Korra in her own park?' Asami laughed out loud now. _I wouldn't object to that. _On third place was Ginger, the co-moverstar of Bolin. 'She stole the heart of Nuktuk, Hero of the South, and now she is after your heart!'. Asami rolled her eyes, remembering that she didn't very much like Ginger.

Asami laid the ridiculous paper aside. Then her eye fell on an envelope, half hidden away under the newspapers. _Tadao had mentioned the mysterious letter._ Without hesitation she picked up the letter. The address of her head office was written in graceful handwriting. There was also a warning: _Personally addressed to miss Sato concerning a private issue_. Asami recognized the stamp on the letter as one of the Fire Nation. There was however no return address. With renewed curiosity Asami opened the letter. In it was a single piece of expensive looking paper. In the same graceful handwriting there was one sentence written across the paper. '_You are warned'_ Asami turned the piece of paper around, but there was nothing, just that one sentence. _You are warned? Was that a threat? Or was this the warning for a threat? Maybe just a weird statement… _The questions piled up inside her brain and she frowned at the message. This made no sense at all.

* * *

Tires screeched when she pulled up to City Hall. With a quick spin of the wheel she perfectly parked her Satomobile in between two other automobiles. She threw her door open and some papers fell to the ground.

'Spirits!' she cursed under her breath. As fast as she could she grabbed the papers before the wind could. After locking the door of the Satomobile she ran into the building and up the stair to the conference room. Behind the door she heard muffled voices, it sounded as if everyone was still settling in. She took a deep breath and tried to straighten her clothes while pressing a pile of papers to her chest with her left arm. Her right hand pushed some strands of hair behind her ear and she was ready to enter. The door opened and Asami walked in with self-assured strides.

'I'm sorry I'm late. I was held up in my office.' She partly lied. She had woken up at her desk and realized she had half an hour left to prepare for the meeting.

'That's alright. We were just getting started.' Raiko said. Asami took her normal place at the big table. Tenzin, Lin, Korra and some other members of the city council were already seated, she was the last one. She sat across from Korra who gave her a grin, jokingly shaking her head in disapproval. Asami rolled her eyes and smiled to herself.

'So, let's begin this meeting. I think everyone has a general idea of my plans to organize a festival in Republic City. I will call it the Peace Festival.' Raiko started his meeting. Everyone nodded. Asami had read some of the plans yesterday. It was a nice plan, but it would take a lot of time to get everything ready. Definitely with half of the city still in ruins.

'I want to organize this Peace Festival to make the ties between all the nations stronger and to keep the peace we fought for. Plus, I think everyone deserves a break.' _While interrupting mine_. Korra thought, but didn't say anything. Raiko continued to explain the specifics of his plan. Asami found it hard to concentrate on his monotonous voice and she felt her eyes slip close. She lightly shook her head and concentrated on Raiko's information, but now her eyes wandered to Korra. She looked bored, fidgeting with her shirt. _Oh, that's right. Tonight we have our date._ Asami recalled. They had set the date before they went through the spirit portal. Both were sad to leave each other if only for one night. So they decided to have their date right on the first day of their return. Asami hadn't had time to plan it yet. It will just be dinner, but picking the right restaurant was crucial. She knew she had a deep friendship with Korra, so the date shouldn't make her that nervous, but still. It was going to be their first official date and she wanted it to be special. She couldn't go to Chow's Cuisine since that would overlap with her first date with Mako. It had to be a bit mo…

'Miss Sato?' Asami's eyes shot from Korra to Raiko who stared at her with questioning eyes. _Oh, spirits! How much did I miss? _

'Sorry, could you repeat the question?' she said in her professional voice, hiding her wandering mind.

'How is the clearing of the roads going? Are we going to have a functioning infrastructure in three months?' Raiko repeated his question a bit agitated.

'Ah right, most of the roads in the centre are already cleared. What's more time consuming are the repairs to the infrastructure. However, if we finish that job, the reconstruction of the buildings will go more smoothly. The transport of materials and labour force would be faster. Three months isn't very long, but the main roads should be ready for use in a month.' Asami kept her cool and made her answer a bit longer than necessary as to give the impression that she had everything under control. Raiko nodded and turned to Lin Beifong to go over the security. Asami let out an inaudible sigh of relieve. Her eyes glanced back at Korra who was grinning, obviously enjoying herself. Asami looked away, refusing to let herself be distracted again.

The meeting ended with a set date and a lot of work for Future Industries. That was good news, but also meant working over-hours. Korra hadn't spoken a lot in the meeting. She only objected when Raiko proposed to postpone the repairs to the poorer parts of the city, since tourists won't go there. Korra said Raiko should make sure his people were all cared for before he put his mind to fancy things like festivals. Asami agreed with her, but Raiko didn't. He said that the festival would help the poorer people as well, since the economy would grow and the new political relationships would benefit all. But Korra found it unconceivable to ignore a part of the city simply because it wasn't beautiful enough for tourists. Asami had then took it on herself to guarantee the rebuilding of the poorer parts. Since Raiko didn't had more budget, Asami had to agree to an act of charity. That settled the dispute and gave Asami another project to break her head over.

* * *

Asami and Korra hadn't had the chance to talk with each other after the meeting. Both were being claimed by other appointments and meetings. Korra had only a brief moment to confirm her date with Asami tonight.

'Half past six at the docks.' She had said and now Korra was waiting. She was fifteen minutes too early. The sun still hadn't gone down and shone a red light over the water. Asami had said that she didn't need to dress formally, so they weren't going to someplace fancy. But still, their definitions of fancy and formal were quite different. She hoped her normal water tribe outfit would do, since she didn't have any other clothes besides her formal dress.

With a soft purr Asami's Satomobile pulled up to the docks. She got out of the automobile. She wore her normal working attire, only this outfit had more clear colours. It made it look a bit more special, but not overdressed.

'You look stunning.' Asami smiled. Although those compliments were obligatory on dates, there was sincerity in her words.

'You don't look bad yourself.' Korra said back.

'Well thanks. Now, let's go to our special dinner.' Korra hopped into the automobile. She had no idea where they were going. Asami started driving, but instead of going to the centre of the city she went away from it.

'Where are we going?'

'I got a special table for the two of us.' Asami said with a mysterious smile. Korra sank back in her chair trying to relax. It looked like Asami had it all planned out.

After a good half hour drive Asami took a turn and they were on a rural road heading towards the forest outside of Republic City. Korra glanced up at Asami, but her face gave nothing away. After ten minutes driving on a dark road in the forest Korra could she lights in the distance. They approached a small cabin in the woods.

'This doesn't look like a restaurant.' Korra said after exiting the automobile which Asami had parked in front of the cabin.

'It isn't. I thought we could use a little privacy. This is sort of my vacation home.' Asami confessed, opening the door.

'A vacation home half an hour away from the city?'

'Yes, my mother was always a fan of traveling. But with the beginning business of my father, he couldn't leave the city for long periods of time. So he built her this cabin in the forest. In that way my mother had a feeling of being away from the city with her family and my father could quickly return to the city if something happened to Future Industries. I spend some summers here when I was small.' Asami gave a brief history on the cabin. It was a small cabin, but tastefully decorated. The furniture looked elegant and there were picture frames with dried flowers inside them on the walls. The kitchen, hall and living room were in the same space. Korra saw a table set up with plates. There was a vase with some red roses and a candle. Everything looked romantic and Korra realized that Asami must have put a lot of work into this dinner.

'This truly looks amazing!'

'Thanks, I had some time to spare today.'

'Really? This morning you looked kind of busy.'

'Okay, I took some time to spare.' Asami confessed gesturing for Korra to take a seat. Asami turned to the kitchen and opened the oven, checking its contents and turned the oven on.

'You even made our dinner?'

'Yes, of course. There's no chef here.'

'I didn't know you could cook.'

'Well, it's nothing special. I learned to cook when I was younger. My dad used to make over-hours and eat poorly. So I decided to take it on myself to make him something decent to eat now and then. But I'm still no Mako or Bolin.' Asami smiled.

'Well those guys are hard to compete against in the kitchen.' Korra laughed with Asami. It was remarkable what kind of delicious dishes Mako could make with just a few ingredients. One of the skills he learned while living on the streets of the city.

The food Asami had prepared was simple but wonderful. They were chitchatting and no heavy subjects had entered their conversation. They were just enjoying their time together. Korra had learned more about Asami the last couple of hours than she had on their whole trip in the spirit world. It made her feel good that Asami would bring her to such a personal place and talk about her family history. Even though they had been friends for so long, there was still a lot to learn about each other.

'By the way, I meant to thank you for offering to rebuild the poorer parts of the city with your own funds.'

'No problem, although if you continue with such elaborate requests you might bankrupt me.'

'I didn't mean to. I just had to say something. Raiko can't neglect the poor people even if his goal is to benefit all.' Asami smiled and grabbed Korra's hand from across the table.

'I was joking. I love Republic City, also the poorer neighbourhoods. So I gladly invest my money in rebuilding it.' Korra smiled sadly at Asami, because she knew there was still bad news to deliver.

'Asami, I've had a great night. But I have to tell you something.'

'Okay.'

'I have to leave Republic City tomorrow. I had a meeting with Prince Wu, Tenzin and Lin today. Wu needs to go to the small villages in the Earth Kingdom to announce the upcoming elections. Mako and I will travel with him for protection and support. We also have to secure some villages, since the fall of Kuvira caused some chaos across the kingdom. This mission might take months, but I have to go. I probably won't be back before the Peace Festival.' Asami took in Korra's words. She felt a flash of sadness. She anticipated Korra's leave to the Earth Kingdom, since it was only logical that the Avatar would be involved in the preparations of the elections. But she didn't expected it so soon.

'That's okay. I will miss you like crazy.' She decided with a small voice.

'I promise to be back faster than three years.' Korra quipped. Asami frowned at the failed attempt at a joke.

'You better come back sooner than three years.' Asami said crossing her arms to look offended. Of course she wasn't really angry, but she wasn't completely lying. Those three years had been hard on her. She had been quietly angry at the Avatar. She knew Korra needed time to heal, but she could have sent the occasional letter. One letter in three years just seemed insulting at the time. Of course all this was forgiven, but quite frankly Asami couldn't laugh about it.

'I promise I will be back and I will contact you whenever I can.' Korra apologized.

'Good, that's all I wanted to hear.' Asami de-crossed her arms. Now it was Korra that took Asami's hands, looking straight at her with a mixture of seriousness and nervousness in her eyes.

'I love you.' She said quietly. Asami squeezed her hands.

'I love you too.'

* * *

Asami had drove Korra back to the docks. There she decided to join Korra to Air Temple Island where there was still a room free for her. Now they sat on the edge of the island looking at the skyline of Republic City. Asami had her arms wrapped around Korra's arm and rested her head against her shoulder. She felt a comfortable feeling of relieve, since she and Korra were now officially together. The thought that she could call herself Korra's girlfriend made the upcoming separation somewhat more bearable.

'The city looks so beautiful. I wish I didn't had to leave tomorrow.'

'You'll be back and by then the city will look even better.'

'Yeah, you're right. Leaving this time isn't that bad. It will be hard work in the Earth Kingdom, but it is peaceful work. I don't have to chase some lunatic this time. Things seem to settle down. No strange occurrences or life threating fights.' _No strange occurrences._ That reminded Asami of the weird note she received. _You are warned._ Asami sat up, catching Korra's attention.

'Well, I…' she stopped mid-sentence and looked in the questioning eyes before her. No, this was not the time to worry Korra over some stupid note that probably didn't mean anything.

'I love you.' Asami told Korra once again. Korra smiled and moved closer for a kiss that Asami eagerly welcomed.

'Ahum!' Asami and Korra froze on the spot. Korra looked behind her and saw Tenzin, Opal and Bolin. They all looked puzzled and Bolin was staring at them with his mouth open. Korra jumped up.

'Oh! Hi….heh…so…nice evening? I know it's a nice evening, just look at that view…..What are you doing?' Korra blurred out one word after the other while turning a deep shade of red. Asami rose calmly to her feet and dusted of her skirt.

'I am inspecting the perimeters and Opal and Bolin wanted to join me.' Tenzin answered. Bolin was pointing with his index finger, alternating between Korra and Asami.

'Oh smart, smart! So… we were just….walking to the sleeping area. Yep! Got to rest up for the big day tomorrow! We say good night to you people!' Korra continued her awkward speech. She grabbed Asami's wrist and pulled her towards the temple.

'I guess we're saying good night. Thanks for letting me stay here again, Tenzin.' Asami could say before she was being pulled out of earshot. Bolin was still stuck in his baffled phase and Opal patted him on the back to calm him down.

* * *

With a quick pace Korra lead Asami through the halls to their bedrooms, still holding a dead grip on her wrist.

'Wow, wait! Korra slow down!' Asami commanded and Korra turned to Asami, letting go of her wrist slowly.

'Are you okay?' she asked worried.

'That was super awkward.' Korra confessed, still feeling on edge.

'Really? I mean, sure I wish we could have told them, but this is also a way of telling. They seemed to take it well, except Bolin. He looked like he was having an heart attack.' Asami summarised the recent events. Then she laid her eyes back on Korra who looked agitated. She didn't seem to take it well.

'Tenzin is like my dad. It feels like my whole family just walked in on us.' Korra tried to explain her tense state. Asami shrugged her shoulders. Korra calmed down a little. Maybe she was overreacting. 'It's not that I'm embarrassed because of you. It's just…it's all going very fast.' Asami embraced Korra.

'It's alright. These people love you and they won't judge us. But I understand this is new and we both still have to ease into it.' Asami spoke softly stroking Korra's back. Korra returned the hug and they stood in the hall like that for a little while.

'Come, let's go to bed before someone else walks in on us and you have another nervous breakdown.' Asami said smiling, breaking the hug. Korra nodded.

'So, your bed or mine tonight?' Korra asked grinning, regaining some of her self-confidence.

* * *

The next morning everyone was up early to wave Korra, Mako and Prince Wu goodbye. They travelled with one of the police force's airships. Asami hugged Mako and wished him luck in protecting Wu and Korra. He acted strange around Korra and Asami this morning, barely making eye contact and the hug was stiff and uncomfortable. Asami guessed Bolin had told his brother what he saw last night. Prince Wu made some borderline offensive remarks and, while dramatically waving, followed Mako inside the airship. Asami gave Korra a last goodbye hug. They held each other a bit longer than normally. They felt the eyes of the airbender family, Lin Beifong, Bolin and Opal upon them, but they didn't care.

'Be safe, okay.' Asami whispered in Korra's ear.

'You stay safe.' Was Korra's reply and they parted. Asami had her eyes locked on the sky till the airship was too small to see.

'So…' she heard Bolin say besides her. She glanced over at Bolin who looked like an eight year old about to say something embarrassing. He had the tops of his index fingers pressed together and looked at the ground.

'Is there something you want to say or ask?' Asami spoke in calm voice, although she knew exactly what the earthbender was dying to know.

'So I was thinking…you and Korra?'

'Korra and me are existing people, that's correct.' Asami teased Bolin.

'No, I mean, I know you two exist. But yesterday… Are you two together? Like Tenzin and Pema together or me and Opal together?' Asami couldn't hold back the laughter at the adorable way Bolin asked his question.

'Yes, we are.'

'Wow, that's truly awesome!' Bolin said with genuine happiness. 'I may have told Mako about yesterday, which made him weird. I'm sorry about that.' He confessed.

'I gathered that much from the way he was acting. You shouldn't apologize to me but to Korra. She's the one in an enclosed space with him for the next hours.'

'Yeah, that's going to be awkward.' Bolin said, realizing that telling Mako this morning about Korra and Asami was probably poor timing. He could imagine his brother trying to act normal, but instead getting tenser. And Korra not making it better, ignoring Mako or getting annoyed by his strange behaviour. And then Wu, who was a challenge to both of them in normal circumstances.

'Yes, that's going to be an interesting trip.' Asami mumbled with the same images in her head. Bolin and Asami shared a glance and then both ended up laughing.


	3. Early Arrival, Fast Goodbye

Chapter Three: Early Arrival, Fast Goodbye

* * *

'I won't let anyone stand in between me and my love!' Bolin struck a pose. A bored looking intern sprayed a beam of water over the set with a gardening hose. Varrick was watching the scene from a tall chair, looking trapped in his thoughts. Pabu and Naga were obviously not paying attention while they stood next to the dramatically posing Bolin. Asami looked around the set. It balanced craftsmanship with ridiculous clumsy amateurism. The technique was top-notch, but the outfits, set pieces and special effects were laughable.

'So, Bolin got you to visit the set at last?' Opal took a seat next to Asami.

'Oh hi, yes. I felt guilty for not visiting yet. He is quite excited about this new mover.'

'Yes, he says it's going to be the centrepiece of the festival.'

'Are they going to be done in time? The festival is in two days.' Asami said raising an eyebrow. She hadn't followed the production up close, but it looked like there was still a lot of work to be done, before the mover was showable.

'They are going to show a preview. The mover night starts with the first Nuktuk mover, then a Q &amp; A with its stars and then a preview of the new mover.' Opal droned, having heard the mover program over and over from Bolin.

'Ah, smart. That way Varrick can sell more mover tickets for the new one. Making money off the festival when it's over.' Asami mumbled to herself. Opal laughed.

'You business people are definitely great strategic thinkers.' Asami blushed a little, realizing she was saying her thoughts out loud. 'So have you heard anything from Korra yet?'

'No, she's in the desert and there is bad reception in most of the towns they will visit.'

'That must be tough.'

'I can handle it, filling the void with work. Anyway she will be back for the Peace Festival, so I just have to wait two more days. Is your mother visiting for the festival?'

'Yes, my whole family will visit…well not everyone.' Asami heard a familiar pain in Opal's voice. She was talking about Bataar Jr. who was in jail for treason.

'How is he?' Asami asked genuinely concerned. Opal shrugged her shoulders.

'I haven't visited him. What he did was inexcusable. I just feel sad for mom and dad.' A slight bitterness fell over Opal's face. Asami had seen that bitterness before in the mirror and something stirred in her.

'I can't tell you how to feel, but maybe you should visit him.' Asami said after a moment of hesitation. 'I'm just trying to say that, how inexcusable his behaviour was, he is still your brother.' It was silent and Asami was afraid she overstepped a line. She knew that she would have lashed out if someone would have told her to forgive her father three years ago. But she just couldn't sit here and say nothing about the matter. She didn't want Opal to do anything she might regret.

'I don't know…'Opal murmured.

'Wooh! That was an intense scene! Did you see those awesome waterbending moves! I practiced all night.' Bolin suddenly spoke and interrupted Opal's and Asami's conversation. Asami glanced nervously at Opal, who returned her gaze. They haven't paid any intention to Bolin's acting.

'It was amazing! Seriously, if I didn't know better I would say you were a natural waterbender.' Asami said, feeling slightly guilty at lying to her friend.

'It looked great.' Opal said, hugging Bolin as a secret apology.

'Well, I'm off then. I need to prepare for some late meetings. Is Naga off for today?' Asami said standing up from her chair. In the night before Korra's departure Asami had promised to keep an eye on Naga. Korra felt bad to leave her polar bear dog behind once again, the thought of Asami checking in on her friend made her feel somewhat better. Asami found herself spending more and more time with Naga. Bringing her to the set for her new mover and taking her back to the island. The big animal had a relaxing effect on her.

'Yes, she's all acted out. She is becoming quite the mover star!' Bolin said with honest enthusiasm.

'You have to watch your back, before you know it it's: 'Naga Hero of the South'.' Asami quipped.

'It would be an honour to lose to the legendary Naga.' Bolin made a small bow to the polar bear dog. Opal and Asami laughed at his ridiculous gesture.

* * *

Korra was tapping her foot against the floor in impatience. She had already done her stretches, bending movements and poses, but restlessness still inhibited ever part of her body.

'Korra, can't you sit still for one minute.' Mako complained, sitting next to her.

'I can't wait to arrive! Why is this thing so slow.' Korra complained in return. Wu, who had been inspecting his face in the mirror for a good forty minutes, plucked at his hair.

'Beautiful things can't be rushed.' He told Korra without turning his gaze from the mirror.

'You mean good things.' Mako corrected the young prince.

'Oh Mako, you're always so strict. Loosen up, it's almost festival time and that means Lady time!' Wu replied while wiggling his eyebrows. Mako grunted and sunk back in his chair with his arms crossed.

'I wonder what the city looks like.' Korra said, trying to speed time up with conversation.

'Lin said they were on schedule, so the centre of the city should be looking alright. What did Asami say about it?' Mako asked.

'I haven't called her yet. I wanted to surprise her.' Korra confessed, now seriously doubting if surprising Asami with her early arrival was the right thing to do.

'That's why you're so anxious to return.' Mako concluded.

'Ah, young love! So impatient and frail, like a spring breeze. I know you two lovely ladies are off the market, but a festival is a great opportunity for a light lunch date or a …'

'The answer is still no.' Korra interrupted the prince with a deadpan voice. After leaving Republic City Mako had acted cross with Korra. She didn't know what had gotten into him and wasn't feeling like asking. If something bothered him, he should tell her himself. He managed to stay tense and curtly with her for three days. Then Korra snapped and forced him to talk. He accused Korra of keeping her relationship with Asami secret while telling other people about it. Korra cleared up the misunderstanding by explaining that she and Asami just had gotten together and Bolin found out by accident. After processing this new information he just nodded and said he got her back, which meant in Mako-terms that he was happy for them. After that he was still uneasy a couple of days. But soon he started to act normally and even asked how Asami was doing. The only downside to this was that Wu caught onto Korra's new relationship and relentlessly tried to ask her and Asami together out on a date. Saying that there was enough Wu to go around or something equally disturbing.

'Ah! Why is this airship so cruelly slow!' Korra felt frustration building inside her. She missed Asami badly and needed to get out of this enclosed space.

'We're flying against the current. It's going to take a bit longer because of that.' Mako calmly explained.

'Stupid current.' Korra whispered displeased, considering going to the top of the airship and bend the currents into a different direction.

* * *

Asami felt a gently breeze on her face from the open window. She sat at the small desk in her cabin just outside Republic City. It was quiet and peaceful. From the window she could she a white blur running randomly around in the bushes. Asami had discovered that Naga loved the forest, a welcomed alternative for the small island she usually was tied to. There were some spirts around her, who she playfully chased. Asami tried to finish some building plans for the poorer regions of the city. The plans took longer than she had anticipated. Even though there was enough work to focus on, Asami couldn't help but let her eyes wander outside to the polar dog bear.

She hadn't used the cabin frequently in ages. Never finding the time to stay alone at the tranquil spot in the forest. But Naga was a good excuse to visit the cabin more often. Plus, the cabin and the polar dog bear reminded her of Korra. _Oh, spirits. I am already turning into a needy girlfriend. Pining away in the forest._ Asami thought to herself, eyes still fixed on the happy display outside.

'Naga!' Asami called. The polar bear dog perked up its ears and came running to the cabin.

'Don't go too far, I wouldn't want to lose you.' Asami spoke softly. As if Naga could understand every word she was saying, she circled herself a couple of times and laid curled up on the ground, just outside the cabin. The forest looked friendly, but there were all kinds of poisonous berries and vines.

'Look out for the thorns and don't eat the poisonous berries.' Asami said mechanically. Her mother always told her that on their stays in the cabin. It was one of the few things Asami could recall with clarity about her. A cold shiver went down her spine and she looked up to the clock. If she left the cabin now she could return Naga to the island before dinner time, go out to buy flowers and still be on time. She sighed and piled up her papers, readying herself to go.

* * *

Mako and Korra made sure that Prince Wu was safely tucked away in one of the most luxurious hotels in the city. Now they were going to visit their friends on Air Temple Island. Korra hoped that Asami was staying at the island as well. She told Korra a month ago that she often stayed with the airbender family for company. It was already dark outside when Mako and Korra climbed out the boat.

'Brother!' Bolin ran up to the pair to give his brother and strong hug.

'Good to see you too Bolin.' Mako said, tapping his brother lightly on the back.

'Korra!' The three air bender kids jumped on Korra and the youngest came wobbling after his siblings.

'Hey guys! How are you?' Korra laughed, trying not to fall over.

'We missed you so very very very very very much!' Ikki shouted.

'Come, come children. Don't push Korra in the water.' Tenzin said with a tired voice. Pema giggled in her hand. As soon as the children let go of Korra a white blur jumped out of nowhere and threw Korra on the ground. A big wet tongue licked Korra's face.

'Ah Naga!' Everyone laughed at the always enthusiastic polar dog bear.

After all the hugs and greetings it dawned on Korra that Asami wasn't on the island.

'So, is Asami at her house?' Korra asked Bolin when they followed the others inside.

'You haven't told her that you came back early?' Bolin figured that Asami was the first one Korra would tell about her early arrival. When she didn't show up to welcome their friends Bolin was surprised, but didn't think anything special of it. Maybe she was held up and would join them later.

'Yeah, I wanted to surprise her.' Korra said guilty, rubbing the back of her neck.

'Well, she's definitely not here. So she's probably at her mansion.'

'Is she okay? Have you seen her lately?' Korra asked, maybe a bit too eagerly.

'She's fine. Building a lot of roads, driving Satomobiles, having dinner at cool restaurants, normal Asami-stuff.' Korra looked at the sky. It was probably too late to go visit her, she thought to herself. Maybe she could call grandma Yin to ask if Asami was still up.

* * *

The sun started to set while an earthbender of the funeral home closed the grave. After her father launched Asami out of the humming bird mecha suit, he was squashed by a gigantic robot hand. The police force had examined the remnants of the battle and Asami got the news that there wasn't much left of her father and that it was better to cremate his remains. Asami had signed off on the cremation she wasn't going to attend a day before she left for the spirit world. This caused her sleepless nights in the wonderful surroundings of her short vacation. Her father always wanted to be buried next to his wife. So on her return she called the funeral home to arrange a small burial. There were some objections. Some people didn't want one of the minds behind the Equalist movement on a local burial ground. Others were taken aback by the idea of burying ashes, since that was highly irregular. Still, after a meeting Asami could convince them that it was her father's right as a citizen of the Republic City to be buried next to his wife. After that she could make further arrangements which was a surreal and emotionally exhausting process.

And now here she was. At last her father was reunited with his wife. Their only daughter standing in front of them. Asami had kept the whole thing secret, even from Korra. Only Lin Beifong, Varrick and Zhu Li were attending the funeral. Since Lin was the chief of police, she knew what has happened to Hiroshi and his remains. She said Asami shouldn't burry her father alone and insisted on attending. Varrick was informed of the funeral by his many eyes and ears in the city. Or Zhu Li was informed, since Varrick usually was absorbed into his own world. They attended because they wanted to honour the man who had worked on the humming bird mecha suit and helped save the hadn't prepared a speech or any gathering after the funeral. She actually wanted to go alone. Just her and her father, like old times. But the three attendants couldn't be stopped.

Silent tears streamed from Asami's eyes and the rest of her face felt numb. The whole ordeal seemed unfair to her. Maybe she should have told Korra. She could use her arms around her now. She remembered laying in Mako's arms while sobbing all night, when she first discovered her father's double agenda. But that was years ago and she liked to think that she was stronger than that now. She laid the flowers she bought on the new grave and some of the flowers on the grave of her mother. She wiped the tears from her eyes. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up. Lin gave her a nod.

'Hiroshi had a lot of problems with the police, but he changed the city for the better. Definitely in his last days and I'm grateful for that.' She said.

'That man had really a touch of genius and geniuses will live forth in their miraculous inventions.' Varrick said, with a less up-tempo tone in his voice than normal.

'My condolences. I'm sorry for your loss.' Zhu Li said.

'Thank you all for coming.' Asami could muster up, even though she didn't invite them. They shook her hand and left Asami to be alone with her grieve. As soon as she was alone she let herself fall to her knees. Her head in her hands, sobbing more violently than she had anticipated. She felt just as small and lost as four years ago.

* * *

It took Asami two hours to pull herself together and face the world again. In a slow stride she walked back to the parking lot, surprised to see Lin waiting by her Satomobile.

'I don't think it's wise that you drive tonight.' She said in a voice that told Asami there was no point in arguing. Without a word Asami passed the keys to the chief of police and sat herself down in the passenger's seat. Lin turned on the engine and started driving. Asami gazed dully out of the window.

'So, I set you off at the Sato Mansion?' Lin inquired. Asami mulled over the question and then shook her head.

'Dragon Flats borough. I will pick up my automobile at the police station tomorrow.' Asami said in flat voice.

'I don't think that's a good idea. I can't guarantee your safety there. There's a lot of tension between the Triads lately and I don't want to deal with an overheated Avatar the next day.'

'I'm sure I want to go there.'

'Listen kid, I know I'm not the one that should give advice on family matters, but putting yourself in danger is not going to make you feel better. I doubt your father wanted you to put yourself in danger.'

'Don't tell me what to do or what my father would have wanted. I didn't ask you to come to the funeral, you invited yourself. Have at least the decency to stop questioning my decisions.' Asami snapped back. Now it was her voce that didn't leave room for arguing. Without speaking another word Lin stopped at the Dragon Flats borough.

'I'll leave your keys in the office, so you can pick up your Satomobile whenever it's convenient.' Asami nodded and walked off into the night. _What a pain. _Lin thought to herself.

* * *

By the time Korra entered the general living area everyone was already eating breakfast. Last night Korra was able to contact grandma Yin and she said that Asami was out on a late meeting. She then wanted to wait up and go to the Sato mansion later that night, but once she sat down on her bed she had fallen asleep immediately.

'Korra!' Ikki waved at her.

'Good morning!' Korra said with a bright smile while she took place in between Jinora and Ikki.

'You're looking neat this morning.' Mako commented. Korra usually looked half asleep in the morning. With her hair in a mess and crumpled clothes. But this morning her hair was combed, her face was washed, her clothes were ironed and she even had a little hairpin in to keep her hair back.

'Yeah, I just thought I could make an effort for a change.'

'Ooooh, you're dressed up for Asami.' Bolin said with a sly grin. Korra turned slightly red. Opal stomped Bolin in his arm.

'Well I think you look wonderful.' Opal commented.

'Pfff! If you want to impress Asami you have to up your game!' Meelo yelled across the table.

'What do you mean by that?' Korra asked while glaring at the young airbender.

'When you were away Asami spent a lot of time here. So she is now used to MEELO THE MAN instead to a puny Avatar!' Meelo jumped on the table.

'Meelo get off the table. You're almost stepping in everyone's breakfast!' Pema said in a strict voice.

'Who do you call puny, little man!? I can take you on!' Mako sighed and remembered why he usually took his breakfast at the police station.

'Oh yeah!?' Meelo, who was seated again, bended towards Korra. Korra bended towards him.

'Yeah.'

'Oh, yeah?'

'Yeah.' Face to face now, they started a spontaneous stare contest.

'I love this family.' Bolin whispered in Opal's ear.

'Uhm, guys. Can we do this after breakfast?' Mako asked. Meelo was hanging over Mako's plate. Both benders ignored his request. Mako wished Asami was here to put an end to this ridiculous situation. Out of nowhere Meelo shot up and pointed at Korra's face.

'Blinked!'

'I did not!'

'You did!'

'Enough! Can I enjoy my food in silence please!' Tenzin shot his son an angry glare. Meelo slumped his shoulders.

'She did, though.' He whispered under his breath. Korra resumed to eat her rice with a satisfied smile.

* * *

The doorbell chimed through the air. With a sudden shrug Asami lifted her head from her desk. Her office in her mansion was located above the main hall of the Sato mansion. The doorbell was loud, so she wouldn't miss it. With no personnel she had to hear the doorbell in most of the rooms. She had fallen asleep at her desk. After yesterday she had spent some time alone in a bar before making the long walk home. She picked up her Satomobile along the way. When she eventually got home she couldn't sleep, so she decided to get some work done. As a result the new city plans for the poorer parts of the city stuck to the side of her face. With her left hand she pulled the papers off and inspected them on smudged lines. They seemed alright.

She heard the door in the hall open. Mako's and Bolin's family still lived in her mansion. They were comfortable in the rooms they occupied and their grandmother Yin didn't feel like moving any time soon after their sudden leave from Ba Sing Se. Asami didn't mind their presence, she actually liked it. Even without seeing them, which wasn't difficult since the mansion was big enough for ten families to live in, she felt less alone. And she didn't had to come to the door every time the doorbell rang. There was always someone to open the door and if the visitors were for her, they would send them up to her office.

She smoothened the surface of the new city plans on her desk. They looked pretty good. She was almost satisfied with the infrastructure, but there were some junctions that didn't appeal to her entirely. There was a soft knock on her door. _Who could that be?_ _I don't have any appointments._ Asami thought.

'Come in.' An all too familiar tanned arm pushed open the door.

'Do you have some time to spare for your favourite Avatar?' Korra said in a joking voice and with her trademark grin. Asami froze for a moment, she must be terrible sleep deprived. Korra wasn't supposed to return till tomorrow, with the other officials. But after blinking her eyes Korra was still standing in the doorway.

'Korra!' Asami's brain confirmed and she walked to Korra to embrace her.

'For a second there I thought you would sent me away.' Korra smirked in her shoulder. Asami responded by tightening the embrace and inhaling the scent of her girlfriend. After a while Asami released her from her grip and took a step backward to look at Korra.

'I love the hair.' Korra smiled and touched the hairpin lightly.

'Thanks! Hmmm…you look special.' Korra said, frowning a little bit. Asami raised an eyebrow and put a hand on her hip.

'Special? What do you mean.' Korra gestured to the right side of her own face.

'I'm not an expert, but it seems you have roads on your face.' Asami wiped with her fingertips over the side of her face. Her fingertips returned with a shade of black stuck to them. _Spirits!_ The ink must have given off on her face when she had fallen asleep.

'It appears so. What a mess.' Asami laughed while wiping her face with her open hand. Korra started laughing as well.

'Here, I got it.' Korra started to wipe Asami's face gently with her sleeve.

'That's most of it.'

'Thanks.' Asami placed an small and unexpected kiss on Korra's lips who started to blush right away. 'But what are you doing here! You're a day early.'

'We finished the job early. Sorry that I didn't call you, but I wanted to surprise you and I always spoil the surprise when I talk to you.' Korra explained.

'Well, you definitely caught me off guard.'

'So, do you have time for lunch? Catching up and all.'

'For you always. Just let me freshen up. I will be back in a second.' Before Asami could leave the office Korra embraced her again.

'It's good to see you.' She whispered softly in her hair.

* * *

Around lunch time Korra and Asami were seated at Narook's Seaweed Noodlery. It has been a while since Korra had any Water Tribe food and entering the restaurant made her feel right at home.

'I once had a date with Bolin here.' She said, remembering the funny event. Asami laughed at that idea.

'Really? I never knew you two were ever serious.'

'Oh! We were really serious. Wedding plans, an honeymoon, couple of kids and everything. What was I supposed to do? You already took Mako from me.' Korra mocked.

'I'm sure Bolin and you would have made a wonderful couple, but thinking about the children you two would have, gives me an headache already.'

'What!? Our children would have been charming, well-mannered and appallingly handsome!' defended Korra her fictive children.

'Well, I don't doubt that last part. I guess they would be to handsome for me to handle.' After their laughing fit they ordered some food .

'So, tell me everything about the desert.' Asami asked eagerly to hear all the great stories Korra had to tell.

'We visited a lot of villages. Wu informed all the people about the upcoming elections and the effects of a chosen president, which was sometimes a bit challenging with Wu being Wu.'

'I can only imagine.' Asami said, feeling a flash of annoyance at the mere mention of the prince.

'He did alright though. Children seem to like him and his heroic stories about badger moles. I also met the candidates for the elections. A businessman, a woman who used to be an adviser to the Queen, an army general. I didn't really get a chance to talk to them, but they looked okay. At least not as obnoxious as the late Queen.' Korra told about her somewhat boring mission. 'But what's going on with you? You look tired. Nice, but tired.'

'With the preparations for the festival things got kind of hectic. Nothing I can't handle, though.'

'You think Republic City will be ready in time?'

'I think Raiko overplayed his hand. The City can't be restored in time, but the touristic places will be presentable.'

'Tomorrow I have to meet all the representatives of the different nations. That's going to be a long day.' Asami laughed at the tormented look Korra gave her. Korra really hated formal gatherings.

'I wish I could support you, but I have some projects to overlook. At least your parents will arrive tomorrow as well.'

'Yeah! You're right, that's something to look forward to.' Korra smiled. In these days everything had a sunny side.

'So do you have to return to the Earth Kingdom when the festival is over?'

'Yes, I'm going to help the police force in Ba Sing Se and I will be campaigning for people to vote. I also have to lead some debates between the candidates. So I will be stuck in the Earth Kingdom till after the elections.' Korra said sadly staring into her noodle soup.

'You want me to come with you to Ba Sing Se?' Asami asked casually, smiling to herself.

'What? You don't have to. I mean, I would love it, but you have your company here.' Korra said confused. Up till now the option of Asami going with her never crossed her mind, since she was pretty sure that Asami had too much to do in Republic City. Korra didn't want to stand in between Asami and Future Industries.

'I know, but I want to expand my Satomobile line to the Earth Kingdom. I have made a brand new automobile, especially designed for the desert. It has an extra cooling system and special tires for rough surfaces. In that way people from the desert villages can get around easier. If I go with you I can keep you company, while I do business. The building plans for the city are almost all finished. So I can leave the surveillance to my vice president and keep taps on the progress over the phone and via the mail.' Asami explained her proposal with a smile. She had put in extra hours to get everything ready for such an undertaking. But she couldn't stand to be apart from Korra for another uncertain period of time. She had it all planned out. She saw a euphoric smile appear on Korra's face.

'You really can go with me?'

'Yes, without sacrificing my company and besides Team Avatar needs me. I'm the best in diplomacy and if you are going to meet daily with politicians, you need me by your side for advice.' Asami said with a smug smile. She was however right. Korra wanted to jump over the table and hug Asami to the floor, but that would have been inappropriate.

'You are the best.' Was all Korra could say in her excitement.

'Thanks, you're not bad yourself.' Asami returned the compliment. 'Talking about business and automobiles, I'm going to present my new model on the second day of the festival. There is going to be an auto race for all the nations. I will represent Republic City, which gives me a good opportunity to promote my new Satomobile. Will you come and see me?'

'That sounds awesome. Really, do you have dull news today?' Korra asked mockingly. Asami shrugged her shoulders.

'I have left out the terribly dull meetings and negotiations.'

* * *

**Thanks for reading my story up till now. I know the story goes a bit slow (I just love writing dialogue), but I promise more action in the next chapter and the chapters to come!**


	4. The Race of a Lifetime

Chapter Four: The Race of a Lifetime

* * *

Korra yawned as she kept her eyes locked on the clock. She already sat through a boring meeting with Earth Kindgom officials who complimented her on her recent work in the desert. Korra couldn't help but think that these rich people never went to the small and poor villages in the desert. So how in the name of the spirits did they know what kind of work she had done. But she kept smiling and nodding and giving empty 'Thank-you's'.

Now she was shaking hands with important people from the Fire Nation in the restaurant of Republic City Four Elements, where most of the guests were staying.

'Avatar Korra?' Korra turned around and saw two young men stand before her. Their outfits looked neat, but not as formal as most of the guests here.

'That's me.'

'Lady Oshiro would like to have a word with you in private. If that's not a problem.' The young man on the left continued in a calm voice.

'Lady Oshiro? I don't know a Lady Oshiro. I can meet her here.' Korra said raising an eyebrow. _Why do some rich people always think they deserve special treatment? _ Korra thought to herself in annoyance.

'I'm afraid that's not possible. She has important information and doesn't want anyone to eavesdrop.' The young man explained.

'Information about what?'

'About a certain threat.' Korra looked puzzled. She had had a meeting with Raiko, Tenzin and Lin this morning. All they talked about was how smoothly everything went these days. If there was a threat, one of them would have known. On the other hand, if Korra didn't find out about this so called information and it backfired, she wouldn't be able to forgive herself.

'What kind of threat?'

'We are not allowed to say.' Korra sighed.

'Okay, bring me to her. But this better be good!' She said, reluctantly following the two men. It couldn't be worse than standing in a room with boring old people who said nothing original.

* * *

The two men had led her up the stairs where the hotel rooms were. There was almost no light in the room they entered since the curtains were drawn. Big candles along the wall casted a red glow into the room. _This Lady knows how to make herself at home._ Korra thought, amazed at how different the normal sized hotel room looked in this shade of light. A woman, wearing a suit in Fire Nation colours, sat on a chair faced to the door. She had long, smooth, black hair with here and there a strand of grey. Her posture was erect and her piercing green eyes focused on Korra. She stood up and walked to the Avatar who took it all in with suspicion.

'My name is Akane Oshiro.' She made a little bow. Korra returned the greeting.

'I'm Avatar Korra. You wanted to see me.' She said still unsure where this was going.

'Yes, please sit down. I'm sorry for the light. I don't want anyone to know I'm here.' Her voice was surprisingly warm and friendly. There was something familiar about her, but Korra couldn't put her finger on it. She sat down across the woman and waited for her to start. 'I come from a village in the Fire Nation. It is actually too big for a village, but also too small for a city. Anyway, I'm head of my district. That's why I was invited to Republic City.'

'Why don't you want anyone to see you?'

'I like to keep to myself. I was born in Republic City and left when I was eighteen. My family was originally from the Fire Nation. Once I returned to the city were my ancestors grew up, I never left again. I don't want to bump into old acquaintances.'

'What's the information you want to give me?' Korra felt uneasy in the dark room and wanted to get to the point as fast as possible.

'Ah, you're not in the mood for small talk. I understand. I had to talk to you about a threat. Now, I can't go to the authorities with this, since I have no proof. No crimes had been committed, but that's just a matter of time. I read the official newspaper of Republic City and you seemed like a person who would listen, even though there was no physical proof for what I'm about say.'

'I'm listening.' Korra said with a grave expression on her face.

'The corporations of the Earth Kingdom are flourishing. Most rich people there have the late Queen to thank for that. With no stable government and an election coming up, the future for some businesses is unsure, since their age long ties to the royal family mean nothing anymore. This creates tension in the business world. Some corporations are planning big things to tip the tables back into their favor.'

'How do you know all this?' Korra had a feeling that this woman was wasting her time with futile speculations. She knew that not everyone was happy with the election of a president, but that was hardly a reason to suspect random CEO's of threating peace.

'I do a little business myself. I also come from a wealthy family. I know how the rich are staying rich and how desperately they protect their capital.' The woman reached towards a wineglass and took a sip with theatrical elegance. After that she continued. 'There is nothing you can do now, except for preventing crimes. Now, as I gathered from the newspapers, you know Asami Sato.' Korra froze in her seat. 'I see that as a yes. I advise you to keep an eye on her.' All the warmth and friendliness disappeared from her voice. Korra felt anger rising in her stomach, but swallowed it. How dare this woman accuse Asami of being a threat. Asami had struggled for so long to clear her name after what her father had done. And there were still ignorant people that couldn't see beyond her family history. Besides, Asami used her capital to improve the poorer parts of the city. Korra knew for a fact that Asami would rather go broke than to corrupt peace to keep her own fortune.

'With all due respect,' Korra mustered up all her politeness in the restrained words. 'I don't know where you get your information, but I have better things to do than to listen to your guesswork.'

'All I'm asking is for you to keep an eye on miss Sato. Her name makes the rounds in the business world and she is planning to expand to the Earth Kingdom. She is making waves.' Korra stood up and pushed her chair back in anger.

'Well, you're wrong about Asami Sato. If I could give you some advice, it's to enjoy the festival and let go of the paranoia.' With that Korra stomped out of the room.

* * *

Korra stared across the water in the harbour of Air Temple Island. It had been a long and boring day, but that was all forgotten since her parents could arrive any minute now. They were delayed by bad weather, so they decided to go straight to Air Temple Island and skip the formal gatherings. Korra could see a small Southern Water Tribe ship appear on the horizon and her heart skipped a beat in anticipation. She had missed her parents. She had talked to them over the phone, but that wasn't the same as having them psychically around.

Korra waited with the Airbander family and the members of Team Avatar. Bumi and Kya were also on the ship and the airbender kids were just as excited as Korra to see their uncle and aunt. After the ship docked Kya and Bumi were the first to set foot on the island. The airbender kids sprinted towards them.

'Who's ready for Bumi-time!' Their uncle yelled. Kya rolled her eyes as she picked up Rohan.

'I think I can take a bit of Bumi-off-time.' She said walking towards her saner brother. Tonraq and Senna came out of the ship a couple of minutes later.

'Mom! Dad!' Korra yelled and walked to them for an embrace. Asami blinked away a small tear at the sight of Korra's family reunion. She felt overly happy for Korra, but an undistinguished feeling nagged deep inside her.

'Hi Korra! How are you?' Senna said gleefully.

'I'm fine!' Korra exclaimed walking with her parents to the group of waiting people. Mako took a step forward shaking Tonraq's and Senna's hand stiffly. 'Hello again Sir…Madam…' He said uptight. Since he and Korra had broken up he felt awkward around her parents. Even though he wasn't Korra's boyfriend anymore, Tonraq still intimidated the young firebender.

'Hello there! Good to see you again.' Bolin said, being more successful in his greetings than his brother.

'Mom, dad. This is Asami.' Korra said, grabbing Asami by her upper arm. This surprised the three people in question.

'We have met Asami. How are you?' Senna said warmly.

'Good, thank you.' Asami said, a bit flustered by the weird introduction Korra had given her.

'I know you have met Asami, but Asami is now my girlfriend. And I think she's the one!' Korra blurred out and directly after that turned red. Maybe she could have left the last sentence unspoken. There fell a silence over the people surrounding Korra. Everyone, including Tenzin and Pema, knew already about their relationship, but nobody except Mako and Bolin had heard Korra or Asami say it directly. Even Asami was taken off guard. She had no idea Korra would be so blunt about it. _So she thinks I'm the one? _Asami thought, feeling pleased with herself. Korra looked a bit unsteady, not sure what her parents were going to say. Then a loud laugh escaped Tonraq.

'That's wonderful news! Welcome to the family.' He embraced his daughter and Asami in one big hug. 'So you are trying to work your way through the whole of Team Avatar.' Tonraq said with an evil glow in his eyes, the kind of glow Korra also had when she was about to make an inappropriate joke or comment.

'Dad!' Korra yelled in embarrassment, turning even redder.

'Oh, Tonraq stop it. Don't listen to your father.' Senna apologized for her husband's behaviour. 'I'm very happy for you two.' Senna continued and gave Asami a welcoming hug as well. Asami smiled and felt overwhelmed with warm feelings. Korra's parents were one of the most loving people she ever met. Korra took after them.

'So you guys are okay with it? You don't really look surprised.' Korra noticed. She couldn't have wished for a better reaction, but her parents were a bit too cool about it.

'Oh, we suspected something. You talked with such praise about Asami over the phone.' This time Senna was the cause of Korra's blush.

'And we do read some newspapers from Republic City.' Tonraq explained.

'Newspapers?' Korra asked, confused about the connection between newspapers and her relationship.

'We want to keep informed about you so we read the newspapers. There were some articles about you two.' Senna explained.

'Oh right! I read those too. They were pretty close in finding you two out.' Bolin chimed in.

'What articles?' Korra said, now utterly confused.

'Some gossip pieces about how you and Asami have grown closer over the years.' Mako said in a dry voice.

'You also read those articles and you didn't even tell me!? We shared a cabin!'

'Hey, don't get angry with me. It's not my fault that you don't read newspapers.'

'It's mostly speculation. Things like me taking Naga out for a walk or us talking in the park.' Asami tried to calm Korra down.

'You also read them?' Korra now turned to Asami with an expression of betrayal.

'Yes, I was planning on telling you, but I forgot. I still have some copies if you want to read it.' Asami said in a guilty voice.

'Don't worry about it! It were nice articles with good pictures of you. I'm very proud.' Tonraq slapped his daughter on her back.

'There were even pictures!'Korra said in agony. She face palmed herself. _I really have to read the newspaper more often._

* * *

_She was enjoying the sunset in the spirit world. Asami leant softly against her and everything was peaceful. Some spirits were floating around in the sky. _

_'Korra?' _

_'Yes?' But before she could turn to face her girlfriend a shock of electricity threw her on the ground. With her teeth clenched she opened her eyes. Asami was hanging above her with her electrified glove stretched out to her. _

_'Why?' Was all she could utter. _

_'What do you know?' Came a cold reply and the glove recharged. Through the blue sparks she could see how Asami's face morphed into the face of the lady she met in the dark hotel room. _

_'Keep an eye out, that's all I had asked you.'_

* * *

Sweat dripped from Korra's face when she shot up from the bed. She heard herself wheezing and gasping. Two arms wrapped themselves around her, forcing her to lay back down.

'Shhh, it's okay. You just had a nightmare.' Said a familiar voice through the darkness. Korra turned to her side and looked into emerald eyes which were filled with concern.

'I…Did I wake you?' Asami smiled and pushed back a strand of hair from Korra's face.

'No, I couldn't sleep. Are you alright?' Korra nodded weakly, regaining a normal breathing pattern. _She couldn't sleep. Who's to say what she was thinking about. What do I know? _Korra thought to herself. The nightmare was still entangled with her brain.

'Was it a bad one?' Asami asked, seeing the flash of pain and confusion in Korra's eyes.

'I…I can't really remember.' Korra lied. Asami moved closer and placed a kiss on Korra's forehead. _This is stupid. Asami would never hurt me. That Lady is just messing with my head. _Korra decided, feeling bad for even dreaming such a terrible thing about Asami.

'Better get back to sleep. The festival starts tomorrow.' Asami mumbled.

'Yes, you should also sleep.' Korra said.

'I will try.' She replied with a faint smile.

* * *

The first day of the festival went by smoothly. Korra had to attend some gatherings to answer questions from people from all over the world. Most questions were about how it was to be the Avatar or the upcoming elections. At midday Korra and some airacolytes guided groups of tourists through the spirit vine invested parts of the city. In the evening Bolin and Varrick had their big mover night. There was a Q and A, a showing of the first Nuktuk Mover and a preview for the new mover: _Rectangular Evil Squad_. After that there was a ball.

Korra laughed with her friends and family. She also had some dances with Mako, Bolin and even Wu. She had a fun conversation about power disc with Wing and Wei, which ended in a lot of boasting and an accepted challenge when Korra would visit Zaofu again. She talked with her parents about home and Tonraq continued to embarrass her in front of her friends. And then there was Asami. Asami was wearing an elegant black dress. It was simple but effective and Korra had to resist the urge to let her hands wander during their dances. She also had listened in to a discussion between Asami, Varrick, Zhu Li , Baatar and Suyin about some mechanical machine with a sort of magnetic field. Korra didn't understand it, but there was something about hearing Asami talk full on about electric fields, metal constructions or other engineer stuff that was very pleasing to her.

At night a contented Avatar laid in bed. Asami had already fallen asleep, which was rare for them, closely snuggled inside Korra's arms. At this moment Korra was perfectly happy. _It's hard to imagine how bleak my life seemed in the past._ Korra let her mind wander. For someone of her age she had been through a lot of hardship. Losing her bending, causing her uncle to die, her nearly death experience, seeing Kuvira destroy a city she became to love, all those events still ached and scratched inside Korra. But now their claws seemed less sharp and Korra felt she could breathe easily. She closed her eyes and went over all the great things she done that day. Burning the experiences inside her brain. One day these events will warm her when times might get hard again.

* * *

The second day of the festival was the day of Asami's race. The race was about to start in an hour and Asami walked over the racing terrain. Everything was organized in great detail. She hadn't helped in the organization. The race committee wanted to give each participant an equal chance and held most details of the race secret for all the drivers. Two days ago Asami received a map of the racing track. This morning all drivers had three test laps. Asami had driven very slowly, taking in every turn, figuring out where she could accelerate and where she had to slow down. She felt confident, even though she was up against professional drivers. She was a very capable driver, but she was by no means a professional. Racing was more of a hobby and a way to try out her new Satomobiles. Maybe that was her advantage. The automobiles of the contestants looked all equally impressive, but Asami was sure she had the best model.

She stopped her straying and stood still next to a fast looking automobile. It looked like the Satomobile she usually drove through the city. It was black with a red line over the sides. Asami had to admit to be impressed. This was however only the exterior, to be really impressed she needed to see the engine.

'I designed it myself.' A dry voice said behind her. Asami turned around. A thin man with short black hair and the eyes of a firebender looked at her. He was a little taller than Asami and must have been around her age, maybe younger. In his hand he had two glasses with red liquid in it. He held one glass out to her.

'Juice for all the contestants. It's supposed to be refreshing.' Asami saw a stand behind the man with glasses of juice.

'Thanks.' Asami said while accepting the glass.

'Made from the berries that grow in the local forest. Hopefully they used the good ones, you know what they say about the forest: 'Look out for the thorns and don't eat the poisonous berries.'' The man said in a monotonous voice. Asami raised an eyebrow. _That's a coincidental choice of words._

'So you are a contestant?' Asami asked. The man nodded, stepping inside his automobile. He drank down his glass of juice and turned on his engine.

'Don't forget to wear your helmet.' He stated and threw his empty glass next to his automobile. After that he drove slowly off to the starting line. Asami frowned at his empty glass in the sand. _That was rude._ She brought her glass to her lips and took a sip. It tasted sweet and sour and was actually refreshing. She finished her drink while processing the strange meeting with the rude driver. After that she picked up the empty glass the man had carelessly tossed away and returned both glasses to the stand, before heading to her own automobile.

* * *

The tribunes were over full with people. Korra, Mako, Bolin and Opal found a spot in the back of one of the tribunes. Korra could see Asami stepping in her Satomobile and approaching her starting position. She had waved, but Asami hadn't seen her. She was probably in deep concentration. Asami had steel nerves, but Korra could tell she was nervous. The race was not only a friendly face-off, but also a promotion of her new model Satomobile. If Asami could get a place in the top three, her sales would go up without a doubt. So there was more at stake for Asami than the honour of winning.

'All contestants have taken their starting positions. The countdown can begin!' A voice blared over the speakers.

'There are some impressive looking automobiles.' Opal said in amazement. After a countdown a shot rang through the air and the roaring of engines left a big cloud of dust. Asami drove a red automobile with black accents. It was easily spotted among the many black, grey and green automobiles. It wouldn't surprise Korra to hear that Asami had done that on purpose, so Korra and the others could spot her from afar. That woman really thought of everything.

'Woohoo!' Bolin yelled out in excitement.

'So do you think Asami has a chance to win?' Opal asked. She knew that Asami was an excellent engineer, but she never seen her drive in a racing match.

'Sure, if anyone can win it is Asami.' Korra said with a bright smile.

'Well, I don't know. She isn't a professional and the contestants are all the best in their nations. All very high scale.' Mako said in all honesty.

'Have faith Bro! Asami is our driver because she is the best in Republic City, so she is just as high scale.' Bolin said.

'It's not that I don't have faith in Asami. I'm just saying that it's not going to be easy for her.' Mako said, defending himself.

* * *

The race went smoothly. She was third now and had no problem to stay with the two automobiles in front of her. With each mile she felt more confident. Her Satomobile was accelerating in a nice flow and Asami had even the feeling that she could relax and enjoy the race.

In second place was a driver from the Earth Kingdom. Cabbage Corp had sponsored the driver and he was now trying to go past the other driver. With a quick manoeuvre the two race cars were next to each other. But the other driver steered a little to the left and the two automobiles had the slightest bit of contact. Asami swore she saw a couple of screws fly past her and with a screeching sound the Cabbage Corp driver had to brake, since one of his wheels came undone. _That's just shabby craftsmanship._ Asami thought while dodging the stranded automobile.

After a sharp turn to the right, Asami took the opportunity to accelerate a bit faster than the driver in front of her. Slowly Asami approached the other driver and in no time she drove next to the other automobile. Again the driver swayed to the left a little bit, but Asami did the same and the automobiles missed each other. This sudden lack of contact made the other automobile wobble and in the next turn Asami took the inner curve and came across the starting line first. _This is going good! I can actually win._ Asami thought with a smile, knowing that her friends could see her being ahead of the group.

Then suddenly the sun seemed to shine a little brighter. Or maybe that wasn't the best way to put it. The sunlight seemed to have a different colour and with that a different effect. The road ahead of Asami trembled in her vision, as if the racing track was so overheated that the air escaped the surface as fast as it could. Asami shook her head lightly, she wanted to rub her eyes but couldn't of course. She entered the part of the tracks that was out of view for the spectators. The trees that aligned the tracks looked taller and had intense colours. If Asami didn't know better, she would say that some of them were purple. _What is happening? Keep it together, it's probably your nerves playing tricks on your mind._ Now she thought she saw a couple of men standing in the scenery, next to a bend in the road. Asami's mouth felt dry and she had a twisted, ominous feeling in her stomach. In her rear mirror she could see another automobile approaching, the one of the rude driver.

* * *

Korra and Bolin were cheering loudly when Asami's Satomobile shot across the tribunes, preparing for her last lap. Even Mako was on the edge of his seat. He took back his comments from before, Asami was more than capable to win from professional drivers. There was one driver in pursuit of her. All the other drivers had crashed or had to forfeit due to mechanical failures. One automobile crashed into the sideboards just before the tribunes and Korra had felt a pang of panic. What if Asami would crash and hurt herself? But then she saw the driver emerging from the automobile and the many people who helped her. There were enough people around to help the drivers out if something happened. And Asami was a steady driver and leading for five laps in a row. There was almost no doubt she would win this and she would do so safely.

Korra sat momentarily down, knowing that it took around ten minutes for Asami to return and claim her victory. The people around them were talking in excited voices. Korra heard Asami's name here and there and a feeling of pride washed over her. They talked about her girlfriend who was killing this race.

'Oh! I think I can see them again!' Bolin yelled, pointing to the horizon. Another cloud of dust re-emerged. Now all four friends stood up from their chairs and held their breathe in anticipation. But it became clear pretty soon that it wasn't Asami who was driving up to victory. The black automobile which had been in pursuit of Asami drove over the finish line with cheering sounds from all over the tribune. Korra locked her eyes to the horizon again, but there wasn't another cloud of dust. 'Where's Asami?' she asked a bit disappointed.

* * *

Asami started on her final lap and if she could keep up her speed, she would win. But the strange feeling and her distorted vision had become worse during the last laps. In the corner of her eyes she could see the strangest things. Weird spirits dancing in the sky and the most impressive display of colours. It was hard to concentrate on the road ahead of her. She would even say that her surroundings, however surrealistic, were beautiful. But at the speed she was driving her ever changing scenery was a source of panic. Sweat pricked in her eyes and yet it didn't occur to her to stop her Satomobile and get herself to a paramedic. She just had one lap to drive and then she would be okay, even though there was definitely something wrong with her body and brain.

With ever increasing speed she approached the spot where she had seen the group of men a couple of laps earlier. Now they were back and Asami swore she could see one of the man take a stance, as if he was about to bend. A ripping sound filled the air and it made Asami's skin crawl.

'What the spirits!?' She yelled to no one in particular. It sounded as if some animal tried to claw its way through the floor of her Satomobile. Out of reflex Asami stomped on her footbrake, but the pedal had no effect. She kept racing over the tracks. _He cut my brakes!_ Asami thought while panic grabbed her heart. She looked down, but couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. Her hand changed gears, but that also didn't seem to work anymore. Asami looked back at the road, her eyes glancing in the rear mirror. The automobile of the rude driver was still behind her, but he had slowed down. Then Asami focussed her eyes on the road again, only to see two men bending the ground in front of her into a ramp. _What the…!? This can't be happening! _Asami internally screamed. It was too late for Asami to steer away and her Satomobile ascended the ramp, only to crash down from it. Mid-air Asami sat paralysed behind the wheel. Even in her clouded state of mind she knew that this could mean the end of her.

'Korra…' she whispered softly before her world turned black.

* * *

It had been twenty minutes and there was still no sign of Asami. Korra started to get restless. Mako had suggested that Asami had probably some car trouble, overheated engine, flat tire, something stupid like that and that it was taking so long because she had to walk the whole way back. But Korra wasn't satisfied with his explanation. It wasn't like Asami to have some insignificant mechanical defect. With each passing minute the four friends grew more silent. Korra was just about to leave the tribune to investigate the matter herself when she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Lin Beifong with a serious expression on her face.

'Come with me.' She said in a grim voice.

'What's wrong? What happened to Asami?' Korra asked.

'Not here.' Lin answered and led the friends from the tribune towards a couple of tents occupied by the police force. Korra felt her heart racing. All kind of scenarios crossed her mind, the one more terrible than the other. _I have to stay calm. It's probably nothing._ Korra tried to control her nerves.

When they reached a police tent Lin gestured the friends to take a seat. Korra prepared to hear something along the lines of: 'Don't worry, it's nothing but Asami didn't want any media around when she would come back from her race.' Or 'She had a flat tire and wanted me to ask you guys to help her bring her Satomobile back. She is waiting a couple of miles away.'. But that never happened. Instead Lin Beifong turned to Korra and she could see sadness in her eyes, something that didn't happen often.

'I'm sorry to say this, but Asami crashed her automobile.' Korra's world stood still for a second, as if it took a deep breathe to regain posture.

'What do you mean?' Korra's voice sounded broken.

'It's bad. My officers found her automobile with her still inside. She was lucky that the thing didn't blow up, but that's the only luck she had. The healers are trying to stabilize her, but we only have an improvised healing pool at the perimeters. It was meant for minor injuries or patching up jobs. They took her to the hospital.' Korra jumped up, barely keeping herself from airbending the tent in pieces out of frustration.

'I have to ask you to stay calm. We are doing everything we can to help her.' Lin warned while knowing it was futile. Korra was already running outside. Bolin and Opal went after her.

'Mako wait!' Lin said, before the firebender could leave the tent. He was as upset as Korra by the news and it took all his will power to turn around.

'Someone has messed up the security schedules, which lead to a hole in the security. The place where Asami crashed was unsecured.'

'So you think that this wasn't an accident.' Mako said in shock.

'I still have to look at the surroundings of the crash, but I don't believe in that kind of coincidence.' Lin replied. Mako nodded his head and left the tent.


	5. The Aftermath

**Thanks for all the follows, favs and reviews. I appreciate it!**

* * *

Chapter Five: The Aftermath

* * *

Korra pushed open the door to Lin's office. With a forceful swing she slapped a newspaper on the desk in front of the Chief of police.

'Why aren't you doing anything about this!?' Korra asked, her anger charging every word she spoke. Two police officers stuck their heads around the corner of the doorpost.

'Sorry ma'am, we couldn't stop her.' One said in a timid voice, scared the Avatar would unleash her anger at him. With an annoyed face Lin waved her officers away from the door and picked up the newspaper Korra brought in. On the front page was a picture of a crashed Satomobile and in all capital letters the headline said: '_CEO OF FUTURE INDUSTRIES TAKES JOY RIDE_'.

'You know I can't do anything about this. We have free press in Repubic City.' Lin told Korra, knowing already what was in the newspapers.

'But they're lying about Asami!' Korra said with raised voice. The healers in the hospital had found traces of the Yume-berry in Asami's blood. The Yume-berry grew in the local forest and caused strong hallucinations. Another effect of the berry was blocking energy streams in the body, which made it harder for the healers to get Asami stable after her crash. Now Asami had been unconscious for three days. Her body was stable, but if she didn't wake up soon, her future was still unsure.

After the crash some local newspaper speculated that Asami had taken the berries voluntarily. They were a known drug among bored teenagers to colour up their lives. Since Asami was under a lot of pressure due to the rebuilding of the city and the death of her father, they claimed that she wanted a trip from reality. Making her an irresponsible adult and a questionable CEO. Some papers even said that the new model Satomobile had a malfunction since Asami would rather take questionable trips outside this world than to devote herself to her company. When Korra had read this she got enraged and went directly to the police office.

'Look, I can't tell the media to stop publishing stories. I have made a statement that there is not enough evidence to make any conclusions.' Lin told the Avatar, pinching the bridge of her nose.

'Not enough evidence!? Does this sound like Asami to you!? Whose side are you on!?' Korra couldn't believe she had to convince Lin that Asami was as devoted to her work as ever and that someone poisoned her with that damned berry. After everything they went through, it felt like Lin was second-guessing Asami instead of wanting to help her.

'I do think the papers are exaggerating, but they are right about Asami being under pressure. I not saying she put herself in danger like that, but after the funeral she wasn't thinking straight as well. Drinking all night in Dragon Flats borough. It was a pain to keep an eye on her. '

'What funeral?' Korra asked puzzled.

'Her father's funeral.' Lin had no time to go over all this with Korra right now. 'Listen, I can't do anything for you. I need an official statement from Asami and until then I can't move this investigation any further.' Korra was taken aback by the news about the funeral. _She buried her father without telling me?_ 'The best thing you can do right now is to stay at Air Temple Island and ignore the newspapers.' Lin continued.

'Fine! Then I will investigate on my own!' Korra decided. With a flash of fire she blasted the office door out of its hinges and stomped to the exit of the police station, leaving confused police officers behind.

* * *

Outside Korra whistled and Naga came running to her owner.

'Korra? What are you doing here?' Mako asked who just came around the corner.

'Can't talk!' Korra snapped at him while she mounted her polar dog bear.

'Wow! Wait! What's going on? Is Asami awake yet?' Mako spread his arms out in the air to make himself bigger and stop Naga in her tracks.

'No, she's not. That's why I have to find something out, since the police won't do anything.' Korra spoke with venom.

'Find something out? Like what?'

'I might know who caused Asami to crash.' Mako nodded.

'I'll come with you.'

'No! I have to do this alone.'

'I'm going with you! I also care for Asami and want to help her. Besides, I'm a detective.' Mako said, climbing on Naga behind Korra. Korra sighed and led Naga to the Four Nations Hotel.

* * *

Korra stormed into the lobby of the hotel, still not losing any of her anger towards the world.

'I need a name and an address of one of your guests.' Korra demanded to the man behind the counter.

'Hmmm, I'm sorry Avatar Korra, but I'm afraid I can't disclose any information about our guests. There are laws that protect their privacy.' The man tried to explain.

'It's okay, this is official police business.' Mako lied, who had caught up with Korra at the counter. He showed his police badge and Korra felt happy he insisted to come along. The man studied the badge carefully.

'I guess it's alright then. Which guest?' Korra fell silent. She couldn't remember the name or room number.

'Hmmm, it was a lady from the Fire Nation. She stayed at a room upstairs. I think the third floor on the day before the Peace Festival. She said she was the head of her district.' Korra said tracing her memory. She had cursed herself these past few days for not recalling any details about the woman who might know more about the mysterious crash.

'That's not a lot of information to go on.' The man said hesitantly, noticing the highly agitated state of the Avatar.

'She had two men with her, some sort of butlers. And her room was dark with candles everywhere.' Korra went on with random facts.

'Oh! I might know who you mean. Her room was a mess, there was wax all over the floor. It took ages to clean it all out and she didn't even stayed the night!' The man complained about the guest Korra was most likely describing. 'But I'm afraid she left a false name. My cousin has an inn just outside the city in the more rural area. People who like to hike stay there. He said that there was this Fire Nation woman staying at his inn who had an obsession with flowers and candles. I thought it was the same person.'

'Where's your cousin's inn?' Korra asked, with no time to lose.

'It's the Rosebud Inn just left from…'

'I know the Rosebud Inn, let's go!' Mako said as he ran outside. Korra followed him directly.

'Well, it was an honour to help you. No thanks.' The man behind the counter said in void space.

* * *

There was a strange buzz in her ears and the scene in front of her was blurry. For a couple of minutes she was lost in the fuzzy surroundings. Slowly her eyes started to adjust to the light and her consciousness started to kick in. _I'm at Tenzin's. _Asami thought, recognizing the room she was in. She tried to move her body up from the bed, but her limbs were weak and heavy. They felt sedated, since Asami could feel pain throbbing inside her, but it was as if someone had laid a thick blanket over it. _What happened? Where is everybody?_ She looked down her right arm. She was wearing air acolyte clothes and a thin sheet covered her legs. The warmth of the sun gave a pleasant tingling in her hands. Then all of a sudden the door blew open. A gust of wind sent Asami back into the mattress. Meelo walked in picking his nose. After he had his fill, he sat down on a chair besides Asami and picked up a sketchbook with pencil from the floor. He seemed to colour something in and then glanced over to the bed.

'Hi…' Asami said with a hoarse voice.

'Wow! You're awake!' Meelo screamed in surprise. 'You see, let Meelo stand guard and everything gets solved!' He said with a grin. His loud voice felt uncomfortable in Asami's ears and her stomach cramped up. 'Do you want to see what you look like when you're asleep?' Meelo asked, turning the sketchbook towards Asami. On the page was a pencil drawing of Asami sleeping.

'T…that's amazing. I didn't…know…you could sketch.'

'One of my million talents! Wait, I'll get the others!' Meelo stormed off. Asami tried to reposition herself. Her left shoulder and upper arm seemed to hurt more than the rest of her body. Even in her sedated state it felt as if some creature sank its teeth in her flesh. She heard several footsteps approaching.

'Asami, you're awake?' Tenzin's fatherly voice proceeded him before he entered the room. Behind him were Meelo, Kya, Opal, Tonraq and Senna. Asami nodded weakly.

'And she thought my pictures were amazing.'

'Not now Meelo. Go to the others.' Tenzin said. Meelo pouted, but left without protest. Kya walked up to the bed and sat down on the edge.

'How do you feel?'

'Hmmm…good under circumstances?' Asami guessed.

'You must have felt better.' Kya quipped with a small smile. The others stood still in the door opening, worried expressions on their faces.

'So, this must have been a close call.' Asami figured out.

'A very close call. We almost weren't able to bring you back.' Another pair of footsteps stomped through the room.

'Asami! You're awake!' a relieved looking Bolin ran into the room. He went straight to Asami to give her an hug. 'This is so great!'

'Thanks Bolin.' Asami weakly padded her friend on his back. Bolin let go of her and looked around the room.

'Where's Korra? I thought she must be here.' He asked.

'She left for the city just half an hour ago. Running some errand.' Tonraq answered the question about his daughter's whereabouts. He knew Korra would beat herself up about not being her when her girlfriend had woken up, but Tonraq and Senna couldn't stop her from leaving. She looked angry and determined and they thought it better to let her go. 'But she must be back soon.'

'That's okay. I don't think I'll be going anywhere soon.' Asami answered. She tried to smile, but only managed a frown since her head started to fog over again.

'Okay everybody, enough peeping time. Asami has to rest, so shoo!' Kya said while standing up and gestured everyone out of the room.

'Yeah, give her some space people.' Bolin supported Kya.

'That applies to you too.' Opal said with a sigh and helped her boyfriend from the floor. 'Get better soon.' She said before leading a disappointed Bolin out of the room.

'You want to know what happened to you?' Kya asked when everyone was gone. Asami nodded. 'You've crashed your Satomobile and someone had given you a drug, most likely made from the Yume-berry. This made your healing process difficult. I have sedated you. The wounds you have aren't life threating, but they are pretty uncomfortable.' Asami let her diagnosis go around in her head. _Yume-berry. They grow in the forest. Don't eat the poisonous berries._ Asami thought silently. 'The healing sessions are tiring your body, so it's best for you to go to sleep before you session this evening.' Asami nodded.

'Thank you.'

'No problem, just watch yourself before you go over the speed limit again.' Kya said and stood up. 'I will get you some water and something light to eat.' After Kya exited the room, silence enveloped Asami again. She let out a gasp she been holding in. The pain in her left shoulder was increasing. _Spirits! If I knew crashing hurt this much I would have never done it. _She joked in herself, trying to lighten up her mood.

* * *

It took them forty-five minutes to get to the Rosebud Inn. It was a small inn, but the location was mesmerizing. It stood in the middle of a field filled with flowers. Mako and Korra had explained the situation to the owner.

'Right, I remember her. She didn't want to leave her name though. I told her it was necessary to register before she could get a room, so she drew a little rose in the register. She said that was good enough and paid some extra yuan for the trouble.'

'How long was she here?' The owner duck behind the counter and brought a big register book back up. He opened it and traced his finger along to pages.

'Here it is! She has been here a week. We had no problems with her. She and her companions were calm and quiet people. Very polite. She has spent most of the days in the flower field, picking rare flowers.' The owner turned the register toward Mako and Korra. There was a little rose in the column that said name. Behind it were the date when she arrived and the date when she left, behind that the room number and a ticked box confirming that she had paid. Mako inspected the data thoroughly as if it held a hidden clue.

'Did she tell you anything about herself? Like, who her companions were or where she was from?' Korra took up the investigation.

'I'm afraid not. The two young men that were with her looked like her bodyguards or personal assistants. They didn't leave her side. I guessed she was from the Fire Nation, because of the colour of her clothes. She didn't talk that much and when she did it was about the flowers.' Korra sighed.

'Thank you for your help.'

'That's alright. It's not every day the Avatar asks you for assistance.' The owner said with a happy smile. Korra was however disappointed and walked outside. She let herself sink down on the grass and stared off into the distance. All her anger was replaced by a feeling of helplessness. Mako sat beside her.

'Are you okay?' noticing the sudden change of energy. Korra hugged her knees into her chest and rested her forehead on top of them.

'This is a dead-end.'

'We at least know she is from the Fire Nation and loves flowers.' Mako summed up the results of their research, knowing it came up short but trying to cheer up Korra.

'I feel so stupid! If only I had paid attention when I met her.' Korra's voice sounded bitter. Mako placed his hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down.

'It doesn't matter. Asami will wake up soon and point us in the right direction.'

'What if she doesn't?' Korra looked at Mako. Her eyes glistering with starting tears. 'I'm so useless. When I was sick Asami stayed at my side, no matter what. And I run away on the third day.'

'You didn't run. You are investigating for her.'

'No, I needed to get away. I… She was in a lot of pain the other night, tossing and turning. I healed her shoulder, since the wound was starting to bleed again. I felt how broken her body was and… I just couldn't take it. I was supposed to keep her safe and I couldn't.' Korra stared off again, this time out of shame. _I was supposed to be her family and I let her down. She didn't even trusted me enough to tell me she had buried her father. I know nothing about her._ Korra started to beat herself up in her mind.

'That's okay Korra. You're trying. It's hard to see Asami like that. But she is going to be alright.' Mako calmly said. Korra stood up.

'You don't know that.' She snapped back at Mako while walking back to Naga. Mako sighed. In some states there was no reasoning with Korra.

* * *

_It was dark and she was safely strapped into a chair, remote controls in her hands. There was a gentle buzz and blue sparks in front of her. The Humming Bird Mecha Suit was welding peacefully. Then a piercing white light shone through the cabin. She looked up and a dark block of some sort of metal was falling down from the sky. _

_'We have to get out of here, now!' She yelled to her companion. _

_'Goodbye Asami, I love you.' She could hear the click of a switch and forcefully she was launched out of the suit. To her horror the scene didn't play out the way she thought it would. Instead of the red brownish eyes of her father, deep blue ones looked back at her. She could see a sad smile appearing around the Avatar's mouth before the metal block slammed the picture away._

* * *

Asami woke up with a small gasp. Drowsy from her slumber she wasn't directly aware of her surroundings. _Same room._ Her eyes told her. It was dusk and the sunlight was weak and gave the room a reddish glow. She was lying on her side, her shoulder throbbing beneath her. She felt a hand on her back, rubbing slow circles as to relax her muscles.

'Korra?' She asked softly while turning around slowly. Instead of an answer she felt Korra wrap her arms around her shoulders and push the side of her face between her collarbones. Asami felt small tears fall on her skin. The pressure on her chest was hurting a little, but she didn't mind. She slowly let her hand go through Korra's hair. She could almost cry from relieve, but held back. She didn't want to upset Korra more. After a while Korra calmed down a little and pulled herself up. With the back of her hand she wiped away the traces of her tears.

'I thought you would never wake up again.' She spoke softly. Her voice felt comfortable to Asami's ears and another wave of relief washed over her, producing a silent tear.

'I'm sorry for sleeping in.' She joked. Slowly she rose her hand from the bed. 'Hold my hand?'

'Of course.' Korra picked up Asami's hand and felt a weak squeeze, assuring her that Asami was conscious again. They were silent for a while and Asami could see that Korra looked tired and spent. She started to hate herself for causing so much worry.

'Did you know Meelo can draw beautiful portraits?' Asami said, wanting to break the tension in the room.

'Yeah, I know. He made a lot of wanted posters of me.'

'Wanted posters?' Asami asked raising an eyebrow and feeling the need to put her hand on her hip.

'Yes, but it's a long story and you need to rest. I will wake you when dinner is ready.'

'Awh, come on. I like long stories and I like to listen to your voice.'

'Hmmm, I guess I can tell you as a goodnight story. Just promise to try to fall asleep!' Korra said in a stern voice. This made Asami laugh. She never seen Korra this motherly with her.

'Fine, I'll close my eyes.' As she did Korra started her story. About how Jinora, Ikki and Meelo were looking for her when she was in the swamps with Toph. Meelo made around a hundred portraits of Korra. All though they looked realistic, the faces Korra pulled on some of them were inappropriate. Definitely the ones that said there was a million yuan bounty on her head.

Asami let herself drift off on the voice of Korra. She didn't listen to every word but the hand by her side and the soothing voice in the air, made her relax her tired body. Slowly her mind went over all the events related to her crash. There were some gaps, but it was clear to Asami that it wasn't an accident. The rude driver, purple trees, a clawing sound? She remembered three man by the side of the road, but their figures were blurred and unclear. And then two of them earthbended. They made a ramp and she had no choice but to drive up and…

A sharp shrug went through Asami's body.

'Are you okay?' Korra asked worried. Asami opened her eyes.

'What? Why?'

'You shrugged. Did you have a nightmare?'

'No, no. I'm fine.'

'I'm not in the mood to play the 'I'm fine' game with you. What's going on?'

'The 'I'm fine' game?'

'Yes, where you answer 'I'm fine' and I have to guess whether you're lying or are not.' Asami sighed, apparently telling Korra she was fine to avoid painful conversations or extra worries didn't work as well as she thought it did.

'I…I just was trying to find out what happened during the race, but nothing makes sense.' She confessed with a slight frown. Someone was trying to kill her, but for what purpose she didn't know.

'Don't worry about it too much. You need to heal and we've got your back.'

'Korra, I can't relax knowing someone is after me or worse. Maybe they are after you too. There was a weird note when we returned from the spirit world. It was sent anonymously and just said: 'You are warned'. I don't think this attack was done on an impulse.'

'You were warned? Was the note from the Fire Nation?'

'Yes, how do you know?' Asami asked in confusion. Korra started to tell her about her meeting with the woman from the Fire Nation and the small investigation that was a dead-end. Throughout the story Asmai could hear the guilt and anger that Korra was holding inside.

'We will figure this out.' Asami decided after hearing Korra out. 'I will talk to Lin and then we will catch whoever is responsible.' Korra smiled weakly.

'Okay, and now it's time to sleep. No detective work in your head!'

'Yes, mom.' Korra tapped Asami lightly on her arm.

'Don't call me that.' All she got in reply was a small grin.

* * *

The day after Asami had woken up, Lin came over to ask her questions about the crash. Asami had told her everything she knew, about the note, the driver, the hallucinations, she also added Korra's findings to her statement. Lin took it all in with silence. After that visitors came and went. Her friends, the airbender family, Korra's parents, Korra herself, even Naga and Pabu. She also had a visit from Tadao to discuss Future Industries. He told her about the bad publicity and the delay it would cause to start business in the Earth Kingdom. On the bright side, Raiko hadn't cancelled any of their rebuilding contracts, so Future Industries was making profit even with the media trying to bring Asami down. Asami had offered to attend some upcoming meetings in the City, but Tadao declared that everyone found it better that she get her strength back. He would lead some meetings and update her by phone or mail. Asami was feeling uneasy about leaving all the work to her employees, but she was also grateful for the talented people working for her.

The next week passed peacefully. Asami felt better each day, but as soon as she attempted to walk around or do more work than just reading, her head would spin and her limbs would cry out in exhaustion. So she stayed in bed most of the time. Sometimes she went outside to watch Korra play with the airbender kids or meditate or anything she did at that moment. Those journeys ended up with Asami falling asleep against Naga as soon as she reached the grass and Naga found her way to the weakened non-bender. The white fur of Naga was the strongest hypnotic Asami had ever encountered.

Today she had had her last healing session from Kya and some local healers. She was now resting in bed, sketching some blueprints for a new model of the Humming Bird Mecha Suit. Since the nightmare she thought it would be therapeutic to pick up the project again. Beside her bed Rohan was colouring in his own drawing of something that looked like a flying lemur, but she wasn't sure. He was not yet as talented as his brother. Slowly she turned her new blueprints to Rohan.

'And what do you think? Is it better?' Rohan looked up, a concentrated look forming on his face. After a while he started smiling.

'More wings!' came his standard reply and Asami started laughing. The boy was as energetic as his siblings, making Jinora the only one that inherited the calm nature of her father.

At noon Asami decided to go back to the Sato Estate. She needed to get things in order before her journey to the Earth Kingdom. Her friends had delayed their travels in order to wait for her recovery. Asami was planning to head over to Ba Sing Se as soon as possible, so she wasn't causing any more trouble. Korra, Bolin and Mako joined her to her mansion. Bolin said that they should take the opportunity to taste Grandma Yin's sand cookies.

Asami directly excused herself when they entered the mansion. She went upstairs to freshen up, while the others followed Tu to the kitchen for the promised cookies. When Asami was upstairs, she couldn't stop the urge to check her office first. As usual Tadao had left some documents on her desk, filling the gap of time she spent on Air Temple Island. She walked up to the desk and sat down, letting out a long sigh. She almost died and now she was here again, with a lot of questions and a lot of things to do.

* * *

'Asami? What are you doing?' Korra said pouting. She came looking for her girlfriend when the 'freshing up' took longer than half an hour. She found her girlfriend hunched over her desk, reading reports. _What does it take to make her stop working?_ Korra thought while Asami looked up.

'I was just catching up.'

'You're not even here for an hour and you're already drowning yourself in paperwork! Bolin and Mako are making dinner, so you should get ready.' Korra complained. Asami gave her a shy smile, knowing she was in the wrong, but couldn't pry herself away from her work.

'Just a little longer. I almost read this final report on the restoration of the bay.' She directed her gaze back to the documents in front of her. Korra let out a discontented sigh, but knew she couldn't win this. She crossed her arms and walked bored around the office, to let Asami know she didn't agree with this. Then her eye fell on the corner of the room. There were some pillows, a blanket, a Pai Sho board with pieces on it in mid battle and a burned out candle. Korra felt a frown forming on her face. _Asami slept here?_ She picked up a thick book that was lying next to the candle. The cover said: _Family Photos_. Korra looked back at Asami, but she was emerged in a notebook. Korra felt a pang of guilt, but curiosity won and silently she turned the first page.

'Awh, you're in a little Satomobile.' Korra cooed at the first picture. Asami's head shot up.

'Korra! Stop leaving through my childhood!' She said angry.

'But you look so cute!'

'Seriously, I can't leave you out of my sight for one second, can I?'

'You're one to talk! I let you go change on your own and find you hanging over a desk.' Korra said, turning another page. 'Awh! Now you're in a sandbox.' Asam raised her eyebrow in annoyance, making a mental note to ask Senna about baby Korra when she would see her again. She stood up to take the photo album from her grinning girlfriend. But Korra had already turned her back to Asami and kept her arms stretched away from her. 'Here you're picking flowers. Maybe you are a bit prissy.' Korra mocked.

'Korra, seriously!' Asami said. She leaned against Korra's back, reaching with both arms along Korra's arms. Even though she was taller, it was hard to get the album back. Korra curved forward. Under the weight of Asami against her back and her uneasy stance, she tumbled with Asami to the ground. They both started laughing about their awkward struggle. For two people specialised in combat, this was pretty pathetic. Korra still managed to turn another page, Asami didn't care anymore. She started to feel comfortable, lying on the back of Korra, looking over Korra's shoulder to the photographs.

On the new page were pictures of Asami around the age of six and Hiroshi. On one Hiroshi was holding her up on a bicycle. In another he patched up the knee of a teary Asami with a plaster. Korra swallowed. For the first time she saw what kind of a father Hiroshi really was. She only knew him as the man that caused Asami a lot of heartache. She was grateful that Asami had forgiven him and that he helped defeat Kuvira, but still. Now, with each passing photograph Hiroshi turned into a loving father. His time with the Equalists started to look more and more like a lapse of judgement, not a character defining event. The sleepless nights Asami had in the spirit world, the Pai Sho addiction, the secretive funeral, the pillows in the office, everything pointed to an unfilled feeling of loss and Korra never asked Asami if she wanted to talk about it. Sometimes she could be such an idiot!

'Asami…' Korra didn't know what to ask or to say.

'Apparently I wasn't that good with bicycles.' Asami said from behind Korra, missing the sudden change of emotion.

'Ahum!' Korra and Asami simultaneously looked up to the door. Mako, with a red face looked at the couple on the floor, coughing in his fist. Korra was stretched out on her belly, keeping a book up in front of her, while Asami was draped somewhat awkwardly over her back. 'Dinner is ready if you guys are…' he mumbled.

'Oh! I still need to change, I got held up.' Asami said, standing up.

'Yes, I can see that. Good, I'm in the kitchen.' Mako commented and turned around. Korra shut the photo album.

'I will see you down stairs.' Asami said, leaving the office.

'Okay! Don't let me find you behind another desk though! I will go full Avatar state on you!' Korra yelled after her.

* * *

'I want you to come back to Ba Sing Se and finish your work there.' There was a small silence.

'But Sir, I have made a lot of preparations this week. I can take out Miss Sato and get you the Avatar tonight.'

'Forget about the Sato girl! We've done enough damage to her. I need the Avatar alive and well. It'll be safer to get her in Ba Sing Se.'

'Okay Sir, see you in a couple of days.' He hung up and growled to himself. So much work for nothing! He had tapped off all the telephone lines from Air Temple Island, Future Industries and City Hall. He had surveillance around Air Temple Island and memorized everyone's room and moving pattern. And now he had to abandon it all to start anew in Ba Sing Se!

Frustrated he walked towards the garage where his black automobile with red lines was waiting for him. He checked the oil and fuels of the automobile. If he left tomorrow morning he would arrive before the Avatar, which will give him some advantage. He had just heard from one of the telephone lines that Asami Sato was returning to her mansion tonight. That was the perfect opportunity to take her out. He didn't like to leave loose ends. _It wouldn't hurt to try._ He thought, making up his mind.

* * *

It was silent in the room. Asami missed her soft bed more than she expected. She felt Korra, who was lying against her back, tracing a finger along a line on her left shoulder and upper arm. Kya had told her that most of her scars would disappear in due time, but some scars were deeper than others. There was a deep pink one running across her lower back and there were several on her left upper arm, they were the worst. It was like her arm came clean off and was reattached by the healers. Korra would trace these lines every time they were alone like this.

'Asami?'

'Hmmm?' Asami was pretending to be half asleep, knowing that her sleeping pattern was a source of concern for Korra.

'I want to pay my respects to your parents before we leave.' Asami froze by the sudden statement. She kept silent, not knowing what to say. The finger that traced her arm changed into a hand on her waist. 'Lin told me about the funeral of your father..'

'Korra, I'm sorry. You were..'

'Don't apologize. I just never really paid any respects to your family.' Asami felt some tears fall from her eyes as she turned to Korra.

'I would really like that.' She said softly and Korra closed in for a kiss. Then Asami heard a soft creak coming from the hall. She turned her head towards the door, leaving Korra with a confused expression.

'Asami, if you don…'

'Shhh..' Asami said tense. Maybe she was imagining things. Another creak, a little louder this time.

'Do you hear that?'

'Hmmm…What am I supposed to hear?' Asami didn't answer, but slowly and silently rose from the bed. She grabbed her night gown from the chair and put it on. Korra didn't know what Asami heard or was about to do, but she thought it best to follow her. So she also left the bed, looking for her pyjamas that were scattered on the floor.

Asami walked to the door and stood still, as to take in every sound in the hall. Korra stomped around a bit, struggling with her pyjama pants. There it was again, a soft creaking sound as if someone was walking through the hall. She laid her hand on the doorknob, breathing in slowly. She didn't know what to expect, it was probably nothing. With a strong pull she opened the door and to her surprise she came face to face with the tangerine eyes of the driver she met on the day of her race. Out of reflex she stumbled a couple of steps back, taking a defence pose with her arms. She could see blue sparks charging from an electrified glove the man was wearing.

'Asami, duck!' She heard Korra yell and without thinking she did. Surprise washed over the man's face as he was launched backward by a strong push of wind. The door fell close after him. They heard footsteps run down the hall. Asami sprinted after the man. Korra opened the window and jumped out, softening her fall by airbending. She dashed to the front of the mansion, where she was expecting the man to re-emerge.

When she reached the main entrance she saw the man jump on a motorcycle.

'Oh no you don't.' Korra said under her breath, ready to bend a wall in his way. But before she could, a rock was slung to her head. With her fist she split the rock in two before it could hit her. She saw three man standing before her. Another bended a metal band around Korra wrist, sending her backwards. _Ugh, I thought I was done with those things after Kuvira._ Korra thought, trying to bend the band off. At that moment Asami sprinted out the front entrance. She had on her own electrified glove. Before the men could turn around, she hit the metalbender and blue sparks sent him to the ground. The band dropped and Korra was free, who directly moved her fists upwards to rise a stone wall between Asami and the other earthbenders.

'Korra, the gate!' She yelled, jumping over the wall and running after the driver on the motorcycle. With a grabbing motion, Korra metalbended the gates of the Sato Estate close and the driver had to brake with force. Asami ran up to him while Korra kept the others away from her with a blast of fire. The glove of the driver lighted up again and he charged towards Asami. With a sudden turn she dodged the glove and grabbed his arm, pulling off his weapon with one smooth motion. The limbs of the man were easily bended and pulled and it cost Asami almost no energy to fling him over her shoulder. A dull cramp pulled in her shoulder, but the adrenaline pushed it away. The man crawled back on his feet and ran to Asami. He seemed to throw a punch to Asami's right shoulder, but with a swift turn his hands ended on her left shoulder. With a sudden tug he made something pop and pain rushed through her body. With a limp arm she fell to the ground, the pain caused specks of black before her eyes.

Korra had trouble with keeping the earthbenders down. The metalbender came around and metal bands were flying everywhere. She had flung most of the bands away and others where torn apart. With blasts of fire and air she drove the benders back, evading rocks of different sizes.

'Gates!' Someone screamed. The metalbender turned and pulled the gates open from afar. The revving of an engine filled the air and leaving a cloud of dust. Korra was just about to bend the gates close again, when she saw Asami lying on the ground. _No!_ Korra couldn't think straight anymore and before she knew it she sat kneeled on the ground pulling Asami in her lap. Three motorcycles raced past her, but she couldn't be bothered.

'Asami wake up!'

'My shoulder…' Asami gasped keeping a dead grip around her own left upper arm. Korra placed her hand on her shoulder. When Katara taught her how to heal, she also learned how to place broken and dislocated bones back.

'Okay, hold your breath.' Korra said, knowing what she was about to do would hurt terribly. Asami nodded. Korra applied pressure on Asami's shoulder and another pop revived Asami's arm, but also brought tears to her eyes. Gently Korra picked her up and ran back to the mansion.

* * *

The blue water resolved the pain and Asami let out a sigh of relieve.

'Better?'

'Much better. You're so multifunctional.' Asami said with a tired smile.

'One of the perks of dating the Avatar.' With a flowing gesture Korra sent the water back into a bowl. After explaining the commotion outside to Grandma Yin and Tu, who came running to the hall when they entered again, Korra started healing Asami's shoulder in her bedroom.

'Those guys were highly trained.' Korra said in a serious voice. She almost had to go into the Avatar state to keep those creeps away from Asami.

'I know, that guy exactly knew where my weak point was.' A silence fell between them. It was certain that someone was out for Asami and these people weren't taking half measures.

'We need to call Lin and track them down. If I go now, maybe I can still catch them.'

'Okay…' Asami tried to move herself from the bed, but directly fell back. The fight had scrapped up her last bit of energy and this was the first time she had put such strain on her body since her accident. Her head spun and she felt broken all over again. Korra watched her girlfriend slightly tremble. She wanted to chase those men down, but she didn't want to leave Asami here like this.

'We can wait till tomorrow to find those guys. They're probably miles away now.' Asami heard Korra's frustration through her words, but was thankful that she decided to stay the night. Korra helped her down the bed and tucked her in. As soon as her head hit the pillow she was gone. Korra laid down next to her and held her in her arms. This night it was Korra who couldn't sleep. Playing the fight over and over again in her head. _If I see them ever again, they are done for._ She thought in anger.


	6. Ballots

Chapter Six: Ballots

* * *

The engines were making a soft buzzing sound and clouds passed by the windows. Asami took a special joy in flying with her own airships. It gave her a feeling of pride and security to know that whatever happened to her, Future Industries still stood for perfection and quality. On the bed in front of her were the contents of her travel bag. She took a deep breath and started reorganizing her bag. Whenever she felt lost, putting her things into order seemed to work. And she had been feeling lost for some time now.

After the attack at her mansion she had found out two things about her assailants. One, they knew a lot about technology. The Sato Estate was protected by a thorough security system, but on that night the four men managed to shut the whole system down without setting off any alarms. The second thing was that the driver had given a false name during the festival and vanished into thin air. The only lead they had on him was that he was sponsored by a couple of companies from the Earth Kingdom, but it was hard to tell which company contracted the driver. They all said that they got an offer and saw the race as an opportunity to promote their products.

Now team Avatar was almost in Ba Sing Se and Asami was ready to put everything behind her. Just for now. She had to do business and Korra needed to make sure there was no fraud during the voting. Whoever was chasing down Asami had to wait till after the elections. Of course that was a ridiculous idea, but it was the only way for Asami to stay sane these days and keep Korra from forsaken her duties to go on a ghost hunt.

Before they left Republic City, Asami and Korra had visited the graves of Asami's parents. Korra had brought flowers and had burnt a candle. The gestures were simple, but it broke something inside Asami. Fresh tears flooded her face and for the second time that month she ended up crying frantically. But this time she was not alone and a feeling of relieve accompanied her crying. A weight was lifted from her. The loss of her parents, something she couldn't give a place before, was recognized and shared. Korra had held her till the sobbing stopped and afterwards Asami felt closer to her, if that was even possible. After that, things started to go back to normal. Asami felt she was really recovering from her accident and Korra became her own enthusiastic self. The blue eyes that contained so much worry, frustration and anger started to clear up. Asami wasn't going to cloud up those eyes again and found work and odd jobs to do to push the thoughts about the unavoidable next encounter with her assassins away.

* * *

The palace in the upper ring of Ba Sing Se hadn't changed a bit. There were less treasures inside since the pillage caused by Zaheer's call for anarchy, but the garden and vast estate were untouched. Korra and Asami had a big bedroom in the same suite as the rooms of Mako and Bolin. Korra liked the arrangement, it felt like old times. Team Avatar on another adventure. Of course there was an ache in her heart that the attackers of Asami still weren't caught, but she could do nothing about that now. The next time she would see those guys, she would take them out for sure.

Setting her personal concerns aside, Korra was now meeting with the three candidates for presidency of the soon to be born Earth Republic. She already had met the three candidates when she was in the Earth Kingdom with Mako and Wu. But this was a more informal setting. A way for Korra to show that these elections were important for the whole world.

The three candidates consisted of two men and a woman. There was Minori, a military woman who believed in strict principles and laws. She was honest and righteous, but a little too tightened up. Korra believed she would make a fair president, but her stern manner reminded her too much of Kuvira and so Korra doubted that she would be elected. Then there was Susumu, an old and quiet man. He had worked as an advisor for the royal family and becoming the president would be a logical step. But he just didn't had the charisma and was easily forgotten. And then there was Yuu, a former businessman in his late thirties. He was the whole package: he was handsome, eloquent, honest and charming. His ideas for the Earth Republic weren't anything special, but they also weren't bad. If Korra had to put her money on someone, it would be Yuu.

'So how are you and your friends enjoying your stay in Ba Sing Se?' Yuu asked, while sipping leisurely at his tea.

'It's very nice. We have a beautiful suite and everyone is very kind.'

'Pardon me for saying this, but you shouldn't treat this as a vacation. The future of a whole nation is depending on this election.' Minori spoke in a monotonous voice. Susumu blankly stared off into the distance.

'The Avatar is still young and everything around the elections goes well. There is no good reason why she shouldn't enjoy her time here.' Yuu spoke up on Korra's behalf.

'She came to the city a couple of weeks late and brought her friends. That doesn't sound very professional to me.' Minori continued as if Korra wasn't in the room.

'I will let you know that my friends are all on business here. Mako is the bodyguard of Prince Wu, Asami Sato has a meetings with local entrepreneurs and Bolin is… We're all very busy, so you don't have to worry about me treating this as a vacation.' Korra had gotten better at hiding her annoyance with people, but when Minori decided to include her friends into her complaining it was hard not to raise her voice.

'Then we arrive at my second point. What is your relationship to miss Sato?' Minori asked Korra, giving her a deadpan look.

'What has that…What…Why?' Korra started to frown.

'That's none of our business.' Yuu declared.

'I think politics and private businesses should be separated. It's common knowledge that Future Industries wants to compete with local Earth Kingdom businesses. I just want to avoid that miss Sato will use her political contacts to get what she wants.' Korra felt a fire rising in her stomach.

'Oh Minori, I think that is hardly the case. I dealt with Future Industries a couple of times and they are one of the most sincere companies I have ever encountered. I trust miss Sato and Avatar Korra to be smart enough to keep out of each other's affairs.' Yuu said, giving Korra a wink.

'I'm just saying that it's inappropriate to have a world leader, who is supposed to be impartial, take an entrepreneur with personal goals to a sensitive and fragile political happening.'

'Seriously Minori, haven't you ever been in love?' The question of Yuu caused a silence over the room. Korra felt uncomfortable and wanted to change the subject.

'So tomorrow the elections will start. The day after tomorrow the votes will be counted here in the capital. That will take a day and then there is the revealing of the results and the appointment of the new president. I will promise you all that I will do everything in my power to secure the voting process and I hope to have a successful collaboration with whoever may win.' Korra droned, not knowing what else to say. Susumu brought his hands together in front of his chest and made a little bow to let Korra know he agreed.

'Yes, may the best win!' Yuu chimed in. Minori said nothing, but was grumpily stirring into her tea. _Ugh, luckily I was born as the Avatar, not as a politician._ Korra thought with a pained expression on her face, wishing the day to be over.

* * *

'So what are we doing here?' Mako asked Asami. He had the day off, since Wu was having a spa day at the palace. Asami asked him if he could join her today, but for what he didn't know. They left for the lower ring with the monorail and were now in a taxi driving to the edge of the Agrarian Zone, where they exited Ba Sing Se to drive further out into the desert.

'My new Satomobiles need a test drive in the desert.' Asami answered. After a while the taxi approached a storehouse in a small industrial town, just outside the capital. Asami paid the driver and walked with Mako up to the entrance. Two employees with Future Industries logos on their shirts opened the massive doors. In the storehouse were ten Satomobiles.

'Are these the same model as the one you used for the race?' Mako asked, suddenly understanding what he was doing here.

'That one was adjusted for racing. These have a more daily design. And a very cool roof feature.' Asami walked up to the closest by Satomobile and opened the door to sit behind the wheel. With a light humming noise the roof slit to the back of the car to fold itself up.

'Wow, that is pretty cool.'

'So ready to take it out for a spin?' Asami asked, trying to sound relaxed.

'Sure, if you are.' Mako said, taking place in the passenger's seat. Asami nodded and turned the key. She dreaded this moment. Out of nerves she grabbed the steering wheel a little too hard, making her knuckles white. It wasn't that Asami feared she might crash again, but strangely enough she was scared that she was too scared to take up driving on the level she used to drive.

'Just start slow, whenever you're ready.' Mako said without any judgement in his voice. Asami had asked Mako to come along with her, because of his calm demeanour. Bolin would be too distracting and Korra would worry throughout the whole trip. And she had caused Korra enough worries for the time being.

Asami stepped lightly on the gas and released the brakes. The Satomobile rolled smoothly to the exit of the storehouse upon a dirt road. Asami continued driving at slow speed. The air was a bit dusty, but it felt fresh. After a couple of minutes she eased into the familiar feeling of driving and her heartrate went down. Her hands relaxed and her movements became more automatic. With the increasing of speed, Asami increased her self-assurance, knowing that she was still the driver she used to be.

'I think you got it.' Mako said, noticing the relieve painted over Asami's face.

'Yes, I was afraid I couldn't do it anymore. But here I am.' Asami said smiling, tugging at the wheel, driving the Satomobile off the road.

'Woah! Take it easy!' Mako yelled at the sudden change.

'Don't worry. I designed this Satomobile to drive on the most challenging grounds. Most villages don't have roads, so it must be able to drive on sand. Better keep your eyes closed.' Asami said laughing, pulling her driving goggles down against the sand that was flying around them. Mako tried his best to keep the sand out of his face, hiding half of it in his scarf. He felt the Satomobile taking a sharp turn in high speed, as if Asami was making a circle. It pushed him to the right outside of his chair and made him a little dizzy.

'Okay! I think it can drive on sand!' Mako said, coughing up sand. Asami couldn't stop laughing at the scrunched up and distressed face Mako was making. But after a while she decided to stop torture her friend and drove slowly through the sand back to the storehouse. The artificial sandstorm laid down and Mako could see clearly again. Asami slit her driving goggles back up on her forehead.

'That was refreshing.' She said gleefully, feeling really revived.

'I have sand on places where it isn't supposed be.' Mako complained, rubbing sand out of his hair. Asami wasn't doing any better. She was sure a whole desert would emerge from her hair, but she didn't care. She was still able to drive without fearing for her life.

'Next time, you can leave the roof on.'

'I'll make a note.' Asami said, slowly braking and squinting her eyes into the distance. 'What are those trucks doing?' Mako looked up. He saw five trucks on the road in front of them. Men were taking some sort of boxes out of one of the trucks and placing them in the other trucks.

'There are binoculars in the glove department.' Asami said at the risk of sounding paranoid. But Asami and Mako had both learned as members of team Avatar that suspicion was a necessary condition for survival. Mako rumbled through the glove compartment to find a pair of small binoculars. With adjusting the wheel on top of the device, Mako got a sharp vision of the trucks and the men.

'It looks like they are loading ballot boxes.' He said.

'Ballot boxes? The elections are tomorrow. All ballot boxes are already into place.'

'They're taking off. Two are going to Ba Sing Se, the others are going in the direction of the desert.'

'We'll follow the ones which go to the city.' Asami said, placing her driving goggles back on and starting the engine. Mako grumbled something about the roof and hid his face behind his scarf again.

* * *

Asami kept driving parallel to the trucks in the sandy dunes beside the tracks. They didn't go into the city, but kept driving along the outskirts. After a few miles they reached an abandoned warehouse with broken windows. One of the men stepped out of a truck and opened the doors.

'We should follow them on foot.' Mako whispered and stepped out of the Satomobile. Asami locked the Satomobile, but let the roof down. She didn't want to take the risk that one of the men would hear them. Before she followed Mako, she took her electrified glove from the Satomobile, just in case.

Mako and Asami sneaked to a low and broken window. He peeked over the edge. Inside were more ballot boxes, neatly lined next to each other.

'I'm going in.' He whispered and climbed through the window. Asami followed him, keeping an eye on the surroundings while Mako checked one of the boxes. A chain kept it close. Mako bended a powerful blue flame in his hand and burnt through the chain.

'Hurry, I see someone approaching.' Asami whispered, keeping her eye on a man who was walking along the boxes. He was probably on guard duty. Mako pulled the chain from the box, which made a jingling sound. The man turned his head.

'Hello?' He said with a timid voice. Asami felt sorry for what she was about to do, but she had no choice.

'I'll be back in a second.' She whispered. Staying low to the ground, she crawled to the man. Mako could see a fast flicker of blue and heard a thud. He didn't pay it any attention, trusting Asami to do a good job. Mako lifted the lit of the box and looked inside. The whole box was stuffed with ballots. He grabbed a hand full and saw that these ballots were already filled in.

'We have to go, I saw more men coming towards the warehouse.' Asami said. Mako nodded and put the lit back on the box, but not before stuffing his pockets with some of the ballots for evidence. Without a sound Asami and Mako crawled back to the Satomobile and took off.

'We have to tell Bolin and Korra.' Mako said. Asami nodded and drove back to Ba Sing Se.

* * *

Mako and Asami stormed into the general living area of the suite they shared. On the sofa a really relaxed Bolin in his swimsuit was lying down, eating grapes from a silver platter. Pabu was lying on his chest, looking fuzzy, probably because he had swam with his owner outside in the pool. On the couch Korra was sleeping with one of Asami's engineer's magazines over her face.

'Hi guys! I must say, I'm enjoying our new style. Come Mako, taste our new style.' Bolin said, offering Mako one of the grapes on the platter.

'Not now Bolin, we have urgent news.' Mako said, waving the platter away. Asami sat down next to Korra and took the magazine off her face. Asami wanted to coo over the innocently sleeping Avatar, but knew that this was hardly the time for that.

'Korra wake up. We have to tell you something.' She said in a hushed voice while running a hand through Korra's hair. Korra slowly opened her eyes and sat up yawning.

'What's up?' She asked sleepy. Mako took a couple of ballots out of his pocket and laid them out on the salon table in front of Korra. Korra looked puzzled to the small pieces of paper in front of her.

'We have enough voting ballots. But thanks Mako.' She said.

'No, look closer! They are already filled in.' Korra picked up one ballot to find a ticked box behind Yuu's name, then she picked up another with a ticked box for Susumu. Hastily she picked up a couple more, finding more ticked boxes for all the candidates.

'What is this?' she asked, switching her gaze from the ballots to Mako and Asami.

'We found a warehouse stuffed with ballot boxes containing false votes. Someone is going to rig the elections.' Asami answered.

'And they're serious. We saw some trucks leave for the desert. Most likely to switch the ballot boxes in the villages.' Mako continued.

'But there are votes for everyone here, so who's cheating?' Bolin asked with some ballots in his in hands.

'If you want to cheat on elections without being caught, you have to create a reasonable majority for your candidate. Which means that all candidates should get votes. If we want to know who rigged the elections, we must count all the votes.' Asami explained.

'If we are fast we can catch the men driving to the villages and warn the authorities.' Mako said.

'No, let it play out.' Korra said all of a sudden.

'You mean, you want to let these people rig the elections?' Mako said a bit baffled.

'We don't know who is responsible for this. If we wait till the results we know where to look. If we take action now, they will abandon their plan and everybody will be pointing fingers to each other while we get none the wiser. I'm done with following dead-ends. So let's wait an let the offenders reveal themselves.'

'That's….not a bad idea! I'm so proud.' Asami said while leaning in for an Eskimo kiss with Korra.

'Guys, serious?' Mako said, blushing a little.

'Remember when you and Asami were always doing that?' Bolin added to his brother's embarrassment.

'We still have to inform some people with political influence to back our story up when the results of the elections come in. Some people we trust.' Asami said, ignoring the red face of Mako.

'Hmmm, yes. Mako can you inform Wu and Bolin can you call Suyin?' Korra said, figuring that Wu and Suyin would have enough political power to make their story believable. Bolin saluted to Korra.

'I'm right on it!' And he ran out of the room.

'I will go and see Wu.' Mako said, walking away. Korra let out a long sigh.

'I'm sorry someone is messing with the elections. You worked so hard to get the security up.' Asami said.

'I kind of expected it. It would be almost insulting if nobody tried something to endanger the first elections of the Earth Republic.' Korra said, smiling sadly.

'We will find out whoever is responsible. Maybe we should inform Raiko and Lin about this as well. They have always been helpful companions in the past.' Korra nodded.

'I will call them.' She said, reluctantly pushing herself from the couch.

* * *

The high ceiling in the living room always made the driver feel small. He waited, watching his reflection in the marble floor. A door opened and a young man walked in, making a small bow.

'Mr. Yamamoto will see you now.' The driver nodded and followed the servant to the study, where Yamamoto was waiting.

'Sit down.' His voice was heavy. The driver obeyed, taking place on a soft chair across from the tall and broad man behind the desk.

'I heard about your failed attempt to get rid of miss Sato. That caused quite a stir.'

'I didn't expected the Avatar to be with Sato.' The driver's voice was dry and unimpressed. He knew the organization had problems with covering his tracks in Republic City. The Chief of Police there seemed to take special interest into the case. Asami Sato was a difficult person to take out. Not only because she was good at protecting herself with security systems and martial art, but also because of her connections. Whole Republic City seemed to move when his second plan to take care of that woman for once and for all went wrong.

'You do realize we all work for the same goals. You're just a small gear in the big system, like me.' _Only you're a bigger gear. _He thought bitterly while he listened to Yamamoto talk.

'We made a new plan to get the Avatar. You have your part to play. So put aside any personal conflicts you may have with miss Sato and focus on the job ahead.' The driver laughed internally at that remark. He didn't have any problems with Asami Sato. He just didn't like to leave a mission unfinished and it was Yamamoto himself who brought up that mission. So if anyone had personal problems with miss Sato, it was him.

'What's the new plan for the Avatar?' He asked, pushing all the objections he could have to the back of his head.

'Taking away her source of strength.'

'Taking away her bending? I'm pretty sure someone already tried that one.'

'No, her source of strength is Team Avatar. They work together to obtain a shared goal, not unlike us. So let's make a little tear in that strength of hers. It's your job to sedate the Avatar and bring her to me, when the time is ready. First we have to put our pawns on the right places.' Yamamoto continued with the details of the plan. The driver nodded and listened to the specifics. It was an elegant plan and would mean a lot to the organization. He should feel pride and happiness, but instead there were goose bumps on his arms. Somehow listening to a plan that would cause a lot of hardship to some people was unpleasant. Every time he had to 'take care' of someone, he did it without hesitation, even with a sort of ambition. But listening to the schemes for such missions made his conscious nag. He always had to turn that little voice off before he could embark on his tasks.

'So I trust you to be prepared. Don't start to let us down now.' Yamamoto concluded his story. The driver nodded and stood up. It was not up to him to decide what was good or evil. One day he will understand, that was always promised to him.

* * *

Asami screwed off some parts of the electrified glove she pulled off from the driver during his attack. She had taken the glove apart a couple of times and her findings were still horrifying. The electrical charge of the glove was way higher than the one Asami used. She was sure that this glove could kill someone with one touch. That night at her mansion, those men weren't fooling around.

Lost in thought she took the whole thing apart again, when she heard the bedroom door open.

'I called Raiko and Lin. They know about the ballot boxes we found and will support us when we cancel the elections.' Korra said in a tired voice.

'Good, hopefully everything goes according to plan.' Asami started to seriously doubt if anything ever did go according to plan. But there was no shame in hoping. Korra walked up to her and handed her a thick envelope.

'It's from the police department in Republic City. Probably a list of all the officials that visited the Peace Festival. I haven't checked it yet.' Korra said. Lin had promised to send them such a list, so Korra could see if she recognized any of the names. But she looked to exhausted from the sudden news of the rigged elections to go through them tonight.

'I will have a quick look. You better get some sleep.' Korra nodded and let herself fall backwards on the bed.

'You too, else I can't sleep.' Asami laughed at that remark. Korra was sometimes such a romantic fool.

'I will.' Asami replied, not able to refuse Korra's request. But first she opened the envelope. Lists with names emerged, ranked alphabetical. Asami trailed with her finger trough the names, but nothing stuck. She was almost putting the papers back in the envelope to safe them for tomorrow when her finger hit the name Oshiro. Her heart skipped a beat and her mouth went dry. A surprised and restrained gasp left her lips, hard enough to hear.

'Asami? Everything okay?' She didn't react. It felt as if the world collapsed on itself and she heard a faint mechanical click in her head. Her hands started to tremble when she looked at her companion.

'I think I found something.' She said in a broken voice full disbelieve.


	7. Separation Day

Chapter Seven: Separation Day

* * *

'You found somthing?' Korra's eyes curiously inspected the papers, while Asami sat next to her on the bed. Asami didn't answer. A million thoughts were running through her brain. _Maybe it's just a coincidence. It would explain why she wanted to warn me. There are a lot of Oshiro's in the Fire Nation. But you never encountered another one in your life. Why hasn't she visited me when she was in Republic City? Why had she never visited me or my father? WHY DIDN'T I KNOW!?_ Asami felt the light touch of Korra's hand on her leg.

'What's wrong?' She asked concerned. Asami's face was scrunched up in a frown that spelled confusion and shock.

'Was her name Oshiro?' She asked, relaxing the muscles in her face as not to scare Korra.

'Yes! That was it! Lady Oshiro, her first name was something with an A. But it was definitely Oshiro! Do you know her?' Korra jumped up a little at hearing the name. She remembered now, those guys called her Lady Oshiro. Quite a fancy title.

'I'm pretty sure I've never met her, but I know one Oshiro.' Asami's voice trailed off while she was speaking. She buried her face in her hands. She had to think. She had to put all the little pieces together. _Why is this affecting me so much, while I'm not even sure what it means._ Korra instinctively put on arm around the shoulders of her obviously distressed girlfriend.

'Which Oshiro do you know?' Korra's voice was soft and soothing.

'My mother. Oshiro was her maiden name. I-I don't know….' Asami couldn't vocalize any of her thoughts, since her thinking process was a derailed monorail. Korra continued to rub her back gently. She had a lot of questions herself and she felt her heart beat faster at Asami's disclosure. But she also knew Asami didn't have any of the answers and she needed time to organize her thoughts. _Now I know why that woman looked so familiar. Her manner, her eyes, even that salt and pepper hair. She made me think of Asami._ Korra thought, seeing Lady Oshiro in her mind's eye. She didn't say this to Asami though, since her feelings were just speculations and didn't prove anything. Asami lifted her head from her hands and looked at Korra. The confusion in her green eyes hadn't subsided.

'Maybe I'm just overreacting.' It sounded more like a question than a statement.

'Would it be bad if she was family? I mean, I kind of liked her, besides the fact that I thought she was accusing you of crimes.'

'I….If she is family, why haven't my parents told me? Why would my father make me believe that I was all alone?' _Why haven't I ever looked into the family of my mother!?_

'Maybe he didn't know.' Korra sighed. There was not a lot she could say to make Asami feel better right now. 'Maybe it's nothing. We will figure this out. Whatever happens, I'm here for you. You will always be my family.' Korra tried. Asami let out a teary chuckle.

'You're so romantic.' She said and elbowed Korra softly.

'I love you.' Korra replied. Asami smiled and wiped some stray tears from her eyes. She had to compose herself.

'Love you too.'

* * *

The waiter was patiently waiting on the tensed up Avatar. One perk of luxurious teahouses was the personnel. They were always polite, whatever the guests did. Asami and Korra decided to have breakfast at the Jasmine Dragon. Today the voting began and after all the revelations of yesterday, they thought they both deserved a break. Asami was fast with her order, she knew the food and the tea and had no problem with picking out the right breakfast. All though Korra had ordered food, for some reason she was now stuck on the tea menu and had taken the good part of ten minutes in deciding which tea she was going to drink. It started to get awkward, but the waiter showed no embarrassment or annoyance. Asami smiled with an eyebrow slightly raised. She didn't know what took he girlfriend so long, but she was enjoying the way Korra got tenser and more confused in her thoughts. It was a funny display.

Korra knew she was taking way too long. The Jasmine Dragon sounded as a relaxing and romantic getaway, but at the moment the waiter showed up and asked for their orders she realized that she knew nothing about tea. Asami had placed her orders as a professional and somehow Korra got ashamed at how lost she was in all the kinds of tea's on the menu. There were names on the menu Korra didn't even knew how to pronounce. Korra loved that Asami was so sophisticated and knew her way around these fancy places, but sometimes it got to her and she felt self-conscious of her own lack of sophistication. And now she was just making a fool of herself.

'I…uhm..sorry..' Korra sputtered, trying to make a normal choice form the menu, but failing completely. _Scarlet Jasmine Tea, Youthberry Orange Blossom Tea, Strawberry Blush Tea? Maharaja Chai, I don't even know what that means! Do they make tea of everything?_ Korra thought, feeling the seconds tick away.

'If I may make a suggestion, I think the Black Dragon Pearl's tea is very nice. It will wake you up.' Asami said. Even though Korra looked totally adorable being lost in the menu, she felt bad at letting the struggle continue.

'That's a good suggestion. I have the Black…huh…Dragon thing tea.' Korra said nodding to the waiter.

'Excellent choice, Avatar Korra.' With a small bow the waiter left their table and Asami couldn't hold back her laughter anymore. Korra pouted a little.

'I'm sorry, but what happened back there?' Asami said in between her chuckles.

'We can't be all tea experts.' Korra snapped back, turning slightly red at the mess she made. 'I just wish I was better at….this…' Korra said, gesturing around her.

'This? Teahouses?'

'Formal stuff. Fancy restaurants, gala's, socializing with important people. You're always so elegant while I can't seem to wait to make an idiot of myself.' Asami stopped laughing and smiled lovingly at Korra. She knew Korra wasn't on her best in formal settings. Since her low approval ratings when the spirit vines started to invest Repulic City, Korra got quite self-conscious in public and formal events sometimes. When she was passionate about something she didn't worry about etiquette and just spontaneously said what was on her mind. Even though this was somewhat unconventional in formal settings, people seemed to appreciate it. It felt more sincere than what most officials said. But when there was a script or code to follow, the great Avatar got nervous.

'I think you're doing great. It's just tea. Are you nervous for tomorrow?' Asami asked. Tomorrow the appointment of the new president was planned. Even though Wu would take care of the biggest part of the ceremony, Korra had to talk too. On top of that, the elections were rigged, so that would make the whole public appearance even more difficult.

'I don't know. What must I say? It doesn't count anyway and I don't want to lie against a whole nation. These people think they get their first democratic leader and now that's all a lie.'

'Well, look at it positively. You can't make it any worse. Besides, tomorrow morning Su will arrive in Ba Sing Se and then we'll all figure out what to do. I think you'll be great and I'll be with you through the whole process. You know, being elegant and all.'

'Maybe you're elegance would rub off on me.' Korra felt better after the reassuring words of Asami and started to get back in joking mode.

'Nah, I'm not a miracle worker.'

'Watch it!' Korra said, punching Asami lightly on her arm. They laughed together, feeling happy and forgetting all the difficult tasks ahead of them. They're breakfast arrived and they ate it contently.

'So, how are you feeling? After everything from yesterday…' Korra asked sipping at her tea. This Dragon something tea was really good. Asami stared in her own cup and Korra felt a bit bad for asking now.

'I-I didn't get a lot of sleep.' Asami had tried to leave the thought of having family behind her. But she couldn't help wondering. 'I think I will visit the Fire Nation after all this. Find out for myself.' She said distantly. Making this plan in her head last night seemed to have calmed her down.

'I will go with you.' Korra said right away. She didn't want Asami to go through something as important as this all alone. Asami looked up and smiled.

'Thanks, it's probably nothing anyway.'

'We'll find out.'

* * *

'Su!' Korra hugged the woman from Zaofu.

'Hello girls, good to see you again.' Su said, releasing Korra and giving Asami an hand.

'You ladies are late. Trouble in the bedroom?' Wu said, wiggling his eyebrows.

'What!? Why…No.. That's nothing of… Why would you even ask that?' Korra said, turning red. Asami laughed at her girlfriend's overreaction.

'I'm afraid that was my fault. I had to finish some paperwork.' Asami said. Korra, Asami and Suyin took their places at the table. Bolin, Mako and Wu were already seated.

'For the record, I always thought you two would end up together. The way you looked at each other at the wedding of Varrick and Zhu Li.' Suyin said with a smug smile.

'Fine. Thanks. Great.' Korra mumbled, still recovering from Wu's inappropriate question.

'Good, let's go over the ceremony. We only have a couple of hours left to prepare.' Mako said, wanting to change the subject as badly as Korra.

'I am sorry I couldn't come earlier. I wanted to make sure everything went well with the voting in Zaofu.' Suyin explained. Yesterday the voting passed by peacefully, to everyone's surprise. Whoever was behind the corruption, they did a quiet job.

'They probably replaced the ballot boxes along the road or during the counting.' Mako said. He wanted to keep an eye on the counting process, but the place was thoroughly secured and he was needed at Wu's side.

'So let's go through the details of today's ceremony.' Suyin said. Wu cleared his throat.

'First, everyone will settle down in front of the palace, were a podium is set up. Korra will do the introduction, saying how much the Earth Kingdom deserves a new leader and world balance and other stuff the Avatar cares about. Then she will introduce me. I gracefully lay down my power as king and announce the new president. The president accepts and I pin the democratic presidency badge on the new leader.'

'No badger mole dancing?' Korra asked, raising an eyebrow.

'Of course! I thought everybody already knew that there's an hour of dancing before the formal part. We must give the people what they want!' Wu said, banging his fist on the table to add a dramatic tone to his last statement. Mako frowned.

'Right, okay. Once we know who has won, we know where we must look for the frauds. That is, if they succeeded…'

'Mako and I thought it best to go along with this until the frauds make a mistake and we can unmask them. This means that we must keep our eyes open. Mako, Wu, and Korra will be on the stage. Bolin will be left in the audience and Asami on the right side of the audience. I will be in the palace, keeping an eye on the backstage.' Suyin elaborated their plan.

'If anything will go down, we would notice. So keep eye contact and subtly warn everyone when you see something out of the ordinary. And with subtle I mean no jumping up and down, bird sounds or indicative dance moves.' Mako continued, directing his last instructions at Wu. The rest of the group nodded. The other part of the meeting was used with friendly conversation. The truth was that no one knew what would happen this evening and it was best to calm the nerves with the company of friends.

After an hour Korra and Asami returned to their room.

'Do you think anything bad will happen?' Korra asked worried. She had a bad feeling about the ceremony, but hadn't told anyone. She didn't want to raise any alarms. But she trusted Asami and she always knew what to say in these kinds of situations.

'I don't know, but whatever it is we can handle it.' Asami said, pulling Korra in a reassuring hug.

* * *

Asami straightened the top of Korra's formal dress.

'You look great.' She said. Asami herself was wearing her normal working attire. She would be standing in the crowd so there was no need for her to dress up. But everyone on the stage had to look their best, since it was an historical event. In half an hour the ceremony would start. The candidates, some officials, Mako, Wu and Korra were all waiting to walk up on stage.

'Okay, good luck. I'm sure you would do great.' Asami said, hugging a nervous Korra goodbye.

'Thank you, stay safe.' Korra answered.

'No problem.' Asami opened her bag and Korra saw her electrified glove inside.

'Good.' Korra said with a smile.

'Hmm, sorry to interrupt, but I would like to meet the CEO of Future Industries.' Korra and Asami turned around and Yuu was standing behind them. He stretched his hand towards Asami.

'I'm Yuu, former businessman. Now almost president, at least, let's hope so.' He introduced himself. Asami took his hand.

'I'm Asami. It's a pleasure to meet you.'

'The pleasure is all mine. I've heard great stories about you and your company. Rebuilding Republic City while attending the election of the first Earth president, that's quite the achievement.'

'Thanks, it's all due to the wonderful people working for me. For which company did you work?' Asami asked, not recalling having met Yuu before.

'I first worked for the small company of my dad. That went bankrupt pretty fast. After that I worked for Mountain Top Corporations. You must heard of them, they built the Sato estate.'

'Oh, that's right. Wow, I haven't heard of them for a while. We aim at different markets. They still deal in luxury items?'

'Yes, they certainly do. They also designed part of this palace back in the days. They have a great reputation among the rich and famous, but they are not known among the common people, since they don't have the money to afford their services. But they're not snobby, the CEO spends a lot of money on charity, especially orphanages.'

'Who is the CEO?'

'The company is in the hands of the Yamamoto family. Mr. Yamamoto was a good friend of your dad. I'm still saddened by the news of his early passing.' Yuu said with genuine grieve.

'Thanks, he gave his life to the city he loved.' Asami said a little sad.

'That's true. He was a great man, a real visionary.' Yuu continued, not mentioning the crimes Hiroshi had commited during his time with the Equalists and Asami was grateful for that. She nodded and then noticed the time.

'I have to go. Claim my place in the crowd. Good luck up there.' Asami hugged Korra fleetingly and shook Yuu's hand for the second time before leaving the room. Korra sighed, now it was really beginning.

'I guess the Avatar always gets the pretty girl.' Yuu said smirking and tapping Korra on her shoulder.

'What? Why would you say that!?' Korra turned red once again. _What's up with everyone making remarks about Asami and me!?_ Korra thought in desperation.

'Haha, don't let it get to you kiddo. Teasing is part of a starting relationship.' Yuu said gleefully, returning to his place with the other candidates. _Ugh. Hopefully the joke gets old, fast._ Korra thought wishing away her red face.

* * *

The badger mole dances were almost over. Asami dully clapped her hands at the end of the seventh act of the show. She had enjoyed the first five minutes, but there weren't many poses the badger moles could strike with their big claws. The rest of the show was just repetition. She took the time to take in her surroundings. It was crowded and people were just standing inches away from her. She couldn't see Bolin on the other side, but she could see Korra, Mako and Wu. Korra looked tense, Mako looked annoyed and Wu was vividly talking with loving eyes focussed on the animals preforming another round of turning and clawing. Someone bumped into her with his shoulder.

'Oh, sorry Miss.' A young man said.

'That's okay.' Asami said, rubbing the spot where the man had hit her. The man took a place just in front of her, which was weird. There were a lot of people and standing in that particular place didn't give one a better view, it just blocked the view of the people behind him. Besides that, the man looked on the brink of a nervous breakdown. He was sweating and rubbing is hands together and a twitch appeared at his right eyebrow. _I must keep an eye on him._ Asami thought well she clapped for the last dance of the badger moles.

'Okay, that was a great preformance of the wonderful creatures of our kingdom, soon to be republic!' The presenter screamed down the microphone. 'And now before we start the appointment of the new president, Avatar Korra has some words for us.' The presenter clapped his hands and the crowd followed. Korra walked up.

'Hello people of the Earth Kingdom. I know times have been confusing for you. After Zaheer torn down the walls in Ba Sing Se and Kuvira took power over all the districts, you're future seemed unsure.' Korra took a deep breath. Asami stared at her with hopeful eyes, crossing her fingers that she will do a good job. Korra gaze glided over the crowd and stopped when she saw Asami. Asami gave her a big smile to indicate she was doing fine and Korra returned her smile. 'I just want you to know that the world has not forgotten you. You're safety and peace are a concern of everyone and that's why I, and with me the leaders of the other nations, are doing everything to secure the future you deserve.' Korra continued without any flaws and rounded up her speech as a professional. 'And here to announce the new president. King Wu.' Korra said, stepping away from the microphone and clapping with the crowd. She let out an inaudible sigh of relieve, while Wu took the applause like a champion, raising his arms in the air.

'Thank you, thank you!' He started his speech. After he officially stepped back from the throne he cited a poem called _Badger Moles and Other Creatures That Make Us Soar Together_ . 'And after that heart-breaking piece of art, I would like to receive the envelope holding the name of our new president!' Wu said. A man with bowed head walked up to him and gave him a golden envelope while backing back down. Wu tore the envelope open. 'Ladies, gentlemen, and ladies, you're new president is…..' He pulled the contents out of the envelope. An expression of confusion crossed his face. 'Uhm..Susumu…Yes, Mr. Susumu!' He yelled. The old man approached the microphone and the crowd started to clap slowly, not really remembering the candidate or voting for him.

'Ahum…is…is this thing on? Yes? Okay. Hello there. I'm Susumu, you're new president. Yeah…' The man started his awkward speech.

'Yeez, they didn't waste those false ballots…' Wu whispered to Mako, who elbowed him for his comment but was secretly agreeing with him.

'I will do stuff that's good for people.' Susumu continued. Asami stood with her hands on her hips, gazing at the weird man who was now supposed to be the president. After his vague speech, Wu pinned the presidential pin on him and it was official. Asami could see that Mako and Korra were as surprised as her with the new president. Susumu didn't look like he would cheat his way into presidency or had any evil plans in his head, if he had any plans in his head at all.

Asami wanted to turn away to meet up with the group when she saw the young man making a earthbending stance. Asami's gaze shot up to Mako while she raised her hand subtly as not to get too much attention. Mako saw her hand and she nodded to the man in front of her, he nodded back and scanned the crowd. To his surprise he saw more people taking a earthbending stance.

'Korra, look….' Was all he could bring out when all at once the earthbenders raised their fists and walls of earth sprang up between the crowd, throwing up a large dust cloud. Mako duck down and pushed Wu with him. He covered his face to keep the dust from entering his lungs.

Asami saw it happen. Walls around her sprang out off the ground and she heard people screaming and panicking. Before the young man in front of her could bend anything, Asami had jumped on him and shocked him with her glove. He was lying unconscious beneath her and the pathway up the stage was free from her side. She had no idea what was happening, but she knew her friends needed her, so she ran up to meet them.

Mako lifted his head, the stage was torn in the middle by a big wall.

'Are you okay?' Mako asked the ex-king.

'Wu down…and dizzy.' His friend replied.

'Mako, Wu! What's going on!?' Asami called while she ran towards them.

'I don't know, it looks like they divided the crowd with walls.'

'Where's Korra? We need to get her!'

'Here take Wu and get him to safety. I will find Korra and meet you later.' Mako said, pushing Wu up and towards Asami.

'Make sure she's safe.' Asami said with worry.

'You know I will.' Mako promised and he ran inside the palace to find a way to the other side of the wall.

* * *

Korra rubbed her eyes to clear them from any dust. She jumped up and looked around her. She was enclosed with walls. She took a stance to break the walls down, when she saw a trembling figure hiding in the corner. It was Mr. Susumu.

'Are you okay?' She asked him without moving. Susumu looked up with big eyes.

'I don't like violence.' He spoke with shaky voice.

'Do you know who is doing this?' Korra asked, never leaving his gaze. She figured that he might know who was behind all this, since he was elected by the invalid votes.

'I-I just know that I don't want to be here.' He said, placing his arms over his head. Korra sighed, this man was incapable of these sorts of crimes.

'Let's go then.' Korra said, resuming her stance. But before she could tear the wall in front of her down, the wall leading to the palace was lowered behind her. She turned and saw the driver with two earthbenders by his side. He held a sort of pipe to his mouth.

'What are you doing here!?' Korra said out of surprise and turned her body to punch a fireball towards the men. But before she could complete her movement, a small arrow hit her neck. _Oh no, not this again._ Korra thought in shock, remembering her first encounter with Zaheer. The flame out of her fist diminished directly in size and Korra felt herself slip away.

* * *

Mako ran through the palace. There were some servants running around in panic. He couldn't spot Suyin and figured she must be evacuating the palace or something. He couldn't be bothered by this too long. He had to find Korra. He made a sharp turn towards a room he thought might be adjoined to the podium outside. Someone had lowered the wall that stood against the palace and Mako ran directly through it, onto the other side of the podium. He saw Korra lifelessly lying on the ground, while a man bended over her to pick her up.

'Let her go!' He yelled, while he punched a ball of fire to the man. A big stone blocked the fireball and another man was throwing smaller sized rocks at him. Mako could avoid the rocks and blasted fire out of his fists while he did. The earthbender got hit on the arm and he stepped back, grinding his teeth. Mako was preparing another attack on the man that now held Korra, when he felt a gloved hand on his arm. He looked to his side and another man was looking right at him.

'I'm sorry. You shouldn't have come.' The man said and with his other hand he turned on a knob on the glove. Blue sparks rushed through Mako's body. He could feel the charge destroying him from the inside. With his two feet planted on the ground he pointed his two fingers to the sky. The electrical charge of the glove left his body through his arm. The electricity was however to strong and when the glove stopped sparkling he fell to the ground.

'Hurry up, we need to get the Avatar to her cell.' The driver said, running into the palace again.

* * *

Bolin was helping people to get out of the narrow pathway between the walls that were raised beside him. He had already taken out the earthbender who did it, but hearing the screams of people on the other side of the wall made him think this wasn't the only wall.

When he finally had some space he earthbended a pillar underneath his feet. He looked out over the walls and saw that the earthbenders had created some sort of maze. He also saw other earthbenders on pillars, keeping an eye on all the fleeing people. On the other side of the maze he saw Asami running over the wall, dragging Wu behind her. Bolin waved his hand and wanted to shout out her name, when one of the earthbenders spotted him and threw a rock. Bolin blocked rock with his crossed arms. He then shot a small stone against the forehead of the earthbender making him fall off his pillar.

He looked back for Asami and Wu, but couldn't see them anymore, so he looked around for his other friends. One big wall was raised against the edge of the podium, which made it impossible to see what was happening there. Only on the right side there was no wall, like the earthbender who was responsible for that part of the maze was missing. Then his eye fell on a group of people carrying some sort barrel. The tunnels of the maze were now almost empty, most people had made it to the streets. The group set the barrel down in the middle of the maze and Bolin saw a spark of fire that walked along a thread to the barrel. The group disbanded and ran away.

_Oh no, they're blowing this thing up!_ Bolin thought, frantically scanning with his eyes over the maze. There were still two people stuck in one of the tunnels. An old woman with a girl helping her walk. Bolin jumped from his pillar and ran over the wall to the duo.

'Get down!' he yelled, while he slid towards them. With a swing of his arm he bended a stone cocoon around them. It was quiet for a few seconds when an enormous bang vibrated through the self-made shelter.

* * *

Asami dragged Wu to the front of the palace, were she had taken out the earthbender. Wu was still dizzy and had difficulty with keeping up. Asami looked at the chaos that the earthbenders had made. The palace laid a bit higher than the ground upon which the crowd had stood so she could overlook the walls that were standing in front of her. She was thinking about a way out.

'Can you jump?' She asked out of the blue. Wu blinked his eyes.

'I can in normal situations.' He said with an unsure voice. Asami nodded and started to sprint, pulling Wu with her.

'Jump!' She yelled when she reached the edge of the podium. Wu did what she said with fear and dread consuming his face. He grabbed Asami's hand a little tighter when he was mid-air. With a thud he landed on top of a wall.

'Okay, whatever you do, don't fall off.' Asami said, dragging Wu along the wall. She saw two earthbenders appearing above the walls, standing on self-made pillars.

'Spirits.' Asami said under her breath. Wu grabbed her arm and pulled her close, whimpering in the process.

'You have to give me some space if we want to make it out alive.' Asami said to her scared friend.

'I know! But I can't.'

'Fine, just hold my wrist.' Asami said. Wu nodded and his hands slid to her wrist. Clinging to it tightly. Asami charged forward, which was difficult with Wu stumbling behind her. The earthbender closest by wanted to bend a rock at her, but his pillar was so close by the wall that Asami could kick him off with a fast extension of her leg. The other earthbender saw her and shot a rock at her.

'Duck!' she shouted and Wu let himself fall to ground with Asami, dodging the rock. Asami stood up, making her way to the earthbender who threw another rock, hitting Asami on her arm. Asami let out a small gasp, but didn't stop her pace. She reached the earthbender who threw now a punch at her. Asami swirled to the side and put her gloved hand on the bender's shoulder. The man hunched together and fell down.

'Okay, run as fast as you can!' She commanded. The pathway was free. There were other earthbenders and some threw rocks at them, but most of them were concentrating on the ground below. Asami was able to avoid all the rocks and jumped off the wall, landing kind of awkward with Wu still hanging onto her wrist.

'We made it, thank the spirits!' Wu said.

'Not quite.' Asami whispered. People were running in every direction, away from the maze. She had to find a quiet place to put Wu and then go back for her friends. Asami started to walk among the mass of people. She had a little hobble in her walk, since the landing had hurt her ankle.

'Where are we going?' Wu asked confused.

'I don't know! But away from here!' Asami said impatiently. Hand in hand they made it through the people when Asami crossed a street and a Satomobile came driving at them at full speed. Asami held up her arm, waiting for impact, when the vehicle stopped with screeching tires. Asami blinked and turned to walk passed the automobile. While she walked on she caught a glimpse of an older woman with salt and pepper hair, sitting in the backseat of the vehicle. Her green eyes settled on Asami and Asami looked back at her. Her surroundings seemed to slow down and somehow she was captivated in the stare of the woman.

A blue flash of thunder from the direction of the palace broke their stare. _Korra! _Asami almost screamed out, when an ear deafening blast threw ground and rocks into the air. Asami pulled on Wu's arm and pushed him to the ground, placing herself on top of him. Debris was falling around them. 'Are you okay?' Asami could ask the petrified ex-king beneath her before something heavy hit the back of her head.


	8. Past Revealed

Past Revealed

* * *

Asami shot up and gasped for air. She coughed on a sweet tasting liquid that was poured into her mouth. A woman was holding her by the shoulders, keeping her in an upright position while a shocked Wu with a cup in his hand backed down. Asami felt the room turn a little and she dipped to the side. The woman pushed her up again.

'Asami can you hear me?' The woman asked. Asami moaned a little, her head was pounding.

'W-what are you doing? Drowning me with juice?' she said weakly, frowning at Wu.

'Don't blame me! You were out for a long time. We had to do something to keep you fed.' Wu defended himself against her frown.

'Where am I? Who are you?' Asami said, turning slowly to the woman who held her. The woman led her back down on the bed, which was a mat with a blanket, and sat on her knees beside her.

'We're in the Fire Nation. I'm Akena Oshiro.' She said politely.

'She you're aunt.' Wu pointed out. Now Asami remembered, she saw her in the Satomobile. They were in Ba Sing Se. There was an explosion.

'Where is Korra!? And Mako and Bolin?' Asami asked panicked, recalling the events.

'We don't know.' Wu said with a worried expression.

'There was panic on the streets. I found you by sheer luck and took you immediately out of the Earth Kin… Republic.' Akena answered.

'I have to get back! I need to help them.' Asami struggled up again, but bended forward and held her hurting head in her hands.

'You have a sprain ankle, bruised arm and an head trauma. You're not going anywhere soon.' The woman said kindly but stern.

'For how long was I out?'

'The trip to the Fire Nation took us around a week. First the bumpy roads through the forest, than a wavy ride over the sea and then an uncomfortable cart to finish the journey. I'll tell you, when you sleep you sleep.' Wu said, recalling the most unpleasant trip of his life.

'A week!?' Asami said in horror. 'I don't care how busted up I am, I need to safe my friends. Who knows who got them and what they are doing to them.'

'I actually know exactly who is behind this. But first you need to eat.' Akena stood up and left the room, leaving an utterly confused Asami behind.

'Wu, why didn't you do something to keep us in Ba Sing Se?' Asami asked. Wu shrugged his shoulders.

'This lady pulled us into an automobile and started to tell how we must get out of there. And with the debris flying around, I wasn't really complaining. Besides, there was you. You were far gone, I couldn't just leave you in the hands of strangers. All though it turned out she is your aunt, so she's not really a stranger. But still! I leave no damsel in distress!' Asami sighed and laid down again. She noticed how empty her stomach felt. Maybe after dinner she'll know what to do.

* * *

Su practically ran out of the palace, or what was left of it, when she saw a jeep driving up.

'Mom!' Opal yelled when she jumped out and ran with open arms to her mother. Su closed her arms around her and drew a breath of relieve. After those terrible days it was good to hold a family member. She had talked to Bataar over the telephone to make sure Zaofu was secure, but that was not the same as having someone around. Lin closed the door of the jeep and walked up to her sister with wondering eyes scanning the ruins in front of her. Opal let go of Su so she could greet Lin.

'Opal, Lin. It's so good to see you.' Su said, hugging her sister.

'I'm sorry we couldn't be here any earlier.' Lin answered.

'Yeah, aunt Lin didn't want to ride Juicy.' Opal said, glaring at her aunt.

'That beast stinks, even in fresh air.' Lin sneered. 'So, this is what is left of the palace? That must have been quiet the blast' Su nodded sadly. The sickening feeling Opal got when she heard of the explosions during the announcement of the new president returned. The news reached Republic City a day later and Opal had directly called to the palace, but no one answered. When Lin told her that she had contact with her mother she felt relieved, untill she got the news that Team Avatar had disappeared during the attacks.

'Any sign of Korra, Mako, Asami, Wu…. Bolin?' The last name was the hardest to pronounce. Opal tried to keep a straight face, but tears were piercing from behind. Su rubbed over Opal's arm gently.

'No one has seen them yet… Who's up for a ride? This place just depresses us.' Su said all of a sudden, looking around subtly for anyone to eavesdrop.

'Sure, it's not like we just got here and need some rest.' Lin complained, but withdrew her comment when Su gave her a meaningful glare. 'Okay, where do we go.' She changed her tune, feeling that her sister was afraid of something within the capital.

'Just anywhere. Maybe outside the city. Clear our heads before we return to this nightmare.' Su said, already walking to the jeep. Opal didn't know what was going on, but followed without complaint or demanding an explanation. They took their places and Lin turned the key. The engine revved.

'Outside the city it is.' She said, looking at Su, but she couldn't discern a hint of where they might go.

* * *

Asami dragged herself to a chair at the table. Wu supported her and drew the chair back so she could sit down. She started to like the ex-king more. He was quite gently, if only he didn't talk so much.

Akena was already seated and three servants set the table for them. A plate of hot soup with vegetables was placed in front of Asami. As if her stomach had eyes, it started to growl.

'Thank you.' she whispered to the woman, who nodded and disappeared again. Asami took in the surroundings. Everything was wooden, like the bedroom where she just had woken up. The floor, walls and ceiling. It made the building look rural and it gave a peaceful atmosphere.

With a trembling hand she brought a spoon full of soup to her mouth. She slurped a little and noticed once again how hungry she was.

'You have a nice place here.' Asami said in between her spoons of soup. Akena nodded, not having touched the soup herself.

'It's nothing special, but I like simplicity.'

'Well, this soup is anything but simplistic and this bread, wow!' Wu commented, stuffing some bread in his mouth as if he hadn't eaten for months.

'So… What do you know about the attack on the palace?' Asami asked, ignoring Wu and his compliments. Akena looked at Asami with a serious expression, figuring out if she was ready to receive such news. Then Akena let out a soft sigh.

'They say the attack was meant for the president, but he was unharmed. If I'm correct, it was a plan to capture the Avatar and eliminate the ones surrounding her.' Her words were spoken calmly, but they felt as piercing icicles in Asami's heart. Her appetite disappeared altogether.

'W-why?' Was all she could ask.

'The ones behind the attack want a new world order. To achieve that they need the Avatar on their side. She is the master of the four elements and brings balance to the world. If they got the Avatar, well… Then they have the world in the palms of their hands.'

'She would never agree to work for terrorists. I saw her fight and she's not easily bended to someone's will. I know, she turned me down many times.' Wu praised the Avatar.

'You better pray she does comply to their will. Because if she doesn't…' Akena saw the anticipation in Asami's eyes, already knowing what she was about to say. 'They won't hesitate to kill her. I'm sorry to say this to you, but if she resists to work for them, it's easier to kill her and search for the next Avatar. Children are more formable.' Akena continued. Asami felt a rush of adrenaline go through her body. She couldn't let this happen to Korra. Not again!

'I have to get back to Ba Sing Se! Do you have any means of transportation?' She asked, counting the days in her head that she already missed and failed Korra.

'Huh… we have two cars. It will get you to the shore.' Akena looked flustered by the sudden burst of energy, but she was not really surprised. The Avatar meant a lot to her niece.

'That will take me a week. I need to get there faster.' Asami groaned in frustration.

'We have a biplane. But it's a wreck to be honest.'

'Where is it? I can repair it and it will shorten the journey immensely.' Akena looked thoughtful.

'It's in the garage, I can show you. But I think it's better that you rest first…' She said hesitantly. Asami stood up.

'I need to get there. My friends need me and I won't waste another second. If you are concerned about my health and want to tell me what to do, than you should have visited me when I was young and when I actually needed you.' Asami's tone was cold when she vocalized clearly what was bothering her about discovering that she had an aunt all those years. Those years she felt lost and alone, there was this woman. Her aunt, knowing about her existence, but never showing her face. Akena nodded and reluctantly shoved back her chair.

'The garage is this way.' She said, with a trace of pain in her voice.

* * *

Su led them out of the city to the edge of a thick forest. Lin drove through it until there was no pathway anymore. So she parked the jeep and the three of them stepped out. Su stretched and while she did she discretely stomped her foot against the ground. Lin noticed the soft stomp and knew now for sure that her sister was worried about being followed. She thought it already strange that Su didn't wear any shoes, since she always tried to look her best. The vibrations that spread out over the ground told Su that everything was safe.

'Good, now we can talk.' She said with more intensity in her voice. She started to walk through the bushes and Opal and Lin followed her, wondering about their destination. 'It was chaos. I was in the palace when it happened. I tried to evacuate as many people as I could, but I lost track of team Avatar. After the explosion there was only rubble to go through.' Cold shivers went down Opal's spine, not sure whether she wanted to hear this. 'I lost track of Korra, Asami and Wu. They were nowhere to be found and we can only hope that they made it out and are safe somewhere. The police of Ba Sing Se are looking for them, all though we don't know for what purpose. There aren't a lot of people left for us to trust around here.' Su pushed away some branches and walked on.

'We?' Lin remarked, as sharp as ever. Before her sister could answer a familiar white blur jumped out from the bushes and licked the side of Lin's face.

'Naga!' Opal screeched in happiness. The polar dog bear enlightened hope inside of her. She walked up to pet the animal on her head while her aunt swiped saliva from her face with an expression of utter disgust. Before Opal could reach Naga, Pabu came running out, climbing on Opal's shoulder with happy peeps.

'Pabu! It's so good to see you!' Opal said, grabbing the fire ferret with two hands and pushing the animal to her chest.

'Well, if you're happy with these two, then you're in for a real surprise.' Su said smiling, pushing away more branches, revealing a cave. In the entrance of the cave Bolin and Mako sat around a small campfire, looking up in surprise. Bolin jumped up, with tears in his eyes from hearing his girlfriend's voice. The sweetest sound he had heard in days.

'Opal, it's so good to see you!' He said, wrapping his arms around the flustered airbender.

'Bolin, I t-thought I would never see you again.' Opal said, with equal as much tears as Bolin when she realised that it really was him she was hugging. Mako got up with a small grunt. His arm was wrapped up in a bandage that looked a couple of days old. His face was pale and he looked tired and sick.

'Chief…' He said with a smile. Lin looked worried at him.

'Mako, it's good to see you. But you don't look so well.'

'His injuries worry me. But I can't bring a healer here or more medical supplies. It would be too suspicious.' Su explained. The health of the firebender worried her for days now.

'It's okay. I can handle the pain.' Mako said weakly. When the electrical charge had hit his body, his old wounds from the battle with Kuvira have sprang open again. He also was battered and bruised by the debris from the explosion. If Su hadn't found him under the rubble, he would be dead. Bolin had carried him to this cave and Su did the best she could with bandages and antibiotics, but Mako knew his body was still messed up. The pain had kept him awake and he started to doubt how long he could take this. But he couldn't break down, not in front of Bolin who was pretty worried and stressed out already.

'I have a first aid kit in the jeep. It's not much, but clean bandages will do you good.' Lin said and walked back to the vehicle.

'I'm so happy you're alive. Have you heard anything from Korra, Asami or Wu?' Opal asked, breaking her hug with Bolin, but keeping her arm around his waist. Mako shook his head.

'I asked Asami to take Wu somewhere safe. I saw Korra being captured before I was electrocuted. I hope she's okay.' Mako sat down again.

'Don't worry. We're here to help. We can contact Tenzin and ask for reinforcements. We will find Korra and bring her back.' Opal didn't know exactly how she was going to do all this, but she was sure she wasn't going to let this happen to her friends.

* * *

The garage looked like a graveyard for all kinds of machinery. The plane was rusty and had not been used in ages. _How can someone neglect such a wonderful biplane?_ Asami thought frowning. It will take a lot of work to get the plane operational. Lucky for her there was also an old Satomobile and she could use its parts to fix the plane. If she pulled an all-nighter, she could leave tomorrow in the evening.

Asami was busy with uncoupling the motor of the Satomobile, while Wu was reading a magazine, sitting on a turned over bucket.

'Little badger mole sitting in a cave. Don't you worry, your mother will keep you safe. The stars will wave your sleepy eyes goodbye. So just hum with me this lullaby.' He softly sang, but clearly out of key. Asami sighed and straightened her back.

'Can you please stop singing that song. I'm trying to concentrate.' She said moody.

'I'm just trying to pass time. Music helps the working mind.'

'Not this time. Go do something useful.' Asami was in a really bad mood. She was tired and had a monstrous headache. But she couldn't stop working and Wu was making things unnecessary difficult and annoying.

'I'm trying my best okay! Singing is what I do. I know I'm not great at combat and that I should have made us stay in Ba Sing Se. But I like to think that I helped out in saving you.' Wu snapped back. Asami looked at him with a pout, wanting to say that he should man up and pull is weight. But then she saw how tired Wu looked. His hair was slightly dishevelled and there were dark rings under his eyes. His normally shiny skin was mat. Asami felt bad for not noticing this before. She swallowed her anger.

'It's okay. I didn't mean to blame you. I'm just… I'm worried.' Asami apologized. Wu smoothened out his frown and understood the sadness spelled out on Asami's face. He felt the same.

'Nah, it's okay. We're going to safe them all! Brain Asami and Warrior Wu will save the day. Hmmm, that doesn't sound bad.' Asami raised an eyebrow.

'Warrior Wu? I recall a certain someone holding my hand throughout battle.'

'Yes, but that was a different time. I've been training.' Wu jumped up and laid, with his face down, on the ground. His arms perked up on both sides of his body and started to tremble. He came off the ground a few inches. Asami took in the exercise with confusion, before realizing that he was trying to complete a push-up.

'Stop, please. Before your arms fall off.' She said, finding it painful to watch. Wu let himself fall back to the ground with a puff. He stood up and wiped his clothes clean.

'Wait till you see the whole routine, you will be impressed.' He said with a grin. _Oh spirits, there's an whole routine?_ Asami thought worried.

'Who gave you that routine?'

'Mako! He started training me.'

'How?'

'Oh, he hit me in the arm once. That was kind of it. But I'm getting better. I can feel my muscles grow!' Asami pinched the bridge of her nose. This wasn't helping anyone.

'Okay, we're going to do this differently.' She walked up to Wu. 'It's better to focus on speed and dexterity for someone with your body type.'

'My body type? Have you been checking me out?' Wu said smirking.

'I'm not blind Wu and your body type is pretty obvious.' Asami said with a serious glare. 'So it's important to stay light on your feet and observe your opponent.' Asami bended her knees a little and shifted her weight lightly from one foot to the other. She flinched when her weight shifted to her hurt ankle, but decided to ignore it. She had been through worse. Wu nodded and with a serious expression copied the stance of Asami. 'Good, now hit me.'

'Huh, okay.' Wu stretched his arm forward and tapped Asami softly on the arm. She let out a sigh.

'Hit me like you want to hurt me. Punch me in the face or something.'

'I don't want to punch you in the face. Your face is one of your nice features.'

'Wu!'

'Okay, okay…' Wu took a deep breath and launched a fist towards Asami's face. She ducked and turned, grabbing Wu's arm pulling him forward. He stumbled and almost fell to the ground. Asami stopped moving.

'You see. You don't need strength, you just need to predict your opponent's movements and flow with them. It's best to practice in front of a mirror. See how your body moves when you throw a punch or give a kick and recognize the small movements in others.'

'Hmmm, that's sound like more fun than Mako's push ups. Where did you learn all this stuff?'

'My dad made me go to self-defence class since I was a little girl. He wanted me to be able to protect myself. This was one of the first lessons.'

'So you're teaching me how to fight like a little girl…'

'Well I…It's not only for little girls! You have to start somewhere.'

'It's okay. I will look for a mirror and start my new routine right away!' Wu yelled, running out of the garage, happy there was something he could do and as extra bonus it involved a mirror. Asami let out a little sigh and walked back to the Satomobile, enjoying her well-deserved silence.

* * *

Lin wrapped a fresh bandage around Mako's arm. The wounds on his arm were bad, he knew that much. But Lin hadn't said anything when she unwrapped the old bandage and cleaned his arm. She didn't even flinch and Mako was grateful for that. Making him feel that it wasn't hopeless, that he and everyone was going to be okay.

'Can't Naga sniff out Korra? I mean, she had been with her all her life.' Opal said, stroking the polar bear dog over her head. She was sitting on Bolin's lap, not wanting to part from the earthbender just yet.

'We tried that, but she can't find anything.' Bolin answered with a sigh.

'How's the president? Anything suspicious?' Lin asked, trying to find a lead, when she finished up on Mako's arm who gave a sigh of relieve.

'No. He is surprisingly good as president. He made some fast and good decisions about the restoration of the palace and he kept the peace in the capital, even with all the turmoil.'

'Then what is our plan? We can't just wait till the next attack.' Opal complained.

'If the president is a dead-end, we don't have a lot to go on.' Lin mumbled.

'Maybe we can find out who benefits from the attack? If someone planned this, then they won't hurt themselves.' Mako said, leaning back against the entrance of the cave.

'Hmmm, well you have the president. He isn't exactly benefitting from the explosion, but it made the people stop wondering why he was elected and now he can show his abilities as president. Then there are the building companies. With the palace in a ruin, they can make a quick yuan with rebuilding it. Of course, that's not a sufficient motive, that's just their job. It could all be a distraction for a bigger plan.' Su summed up everyone she could think of who could benefit from such a tragedy.

'Good, you look into the president. Who has supported him, who are his contacts, what are his plans. Opal, you look into the companies. Which ones were contracted, where does the money go. I will try to find a safe line to contact Tenzin and Raiko. Maybe Asami, Wu or Korra have contacted someone in Republic City for help.' Lin gave her orders. Su never really liked taking orders from Lin as if she knew everything better. But this wasn't the time to protest.

'And what are we going to do?' Bolin asked, eager to help.

'You keep your brother alive. When we know more, be ready to move.' Lin told Bolin, standing up to get back to Ba Sing Se. Bolin saluted to Lin and pulled a serious face. 'Yes, ma'am. Consider him alive!' Opal giggled at his silly face and gave him a kiss.

'Ugh, young love.' Lin complained, but she felt happy for the couple.

* * *

Asami had slept a couple of hours on the floor. With a stiff shoulder she returned working on the plane. It went faster then she thought and she must be able to test it in the morning. Almost too silent to hear, Akena slipped into the garage. Asami threw a careless look over her shoulder and frowned when she saw the woman who was supposed to be her aunt. She didn't have the energy to deal with this right now.

'I see you have found the Satomobile as well.' Akena said with raised eyebrows. The Satomobile looked worse than ever, which was ironic since she always believed that the presence of a Sato would make the thing only look better. But now it was stripped down to a collection of useless parts. Apparently, the love for Satomobiles cut both ways.

'Yes, I needed the parts and it looked like you didn't do anything with it.' Asami made a half-baked attempt at apologizing.

'That was a gift from your parents.' Asami sighed, she didn't need to hear this now. She had figured out that the Satomobile must have come from her parents, since it was an old model. From the time when she was still a happy child and everything was good in the world. And Akena didn't look like the type to buy herself an automobile, definitely not one which was especially designed for the big city.

'I'm sorry, but I'm busy right now.' Asami tried her best to keep her voice polite. The woman saved her life after all.

'We don't have to talk if you don't want to. But you never asked about any details of the attack or the people behind it.'

'I don't need the details. Everyone who kidnaps Korra is scum. That's all the information I need.' Asami practically spat out.

'I made a map. I drew circles around the places where they could keep the Avatar. You might need it.' Akena laid down a rolled up map, hold together with a piece of string. This caught Asami's attention. She laid down her tools and walked up to her aunt. With suspicion she picked up the map and rolled it out on the hood of what was left of the Satomobile. Sure enough there were some circles around small towns in the dessert.

'My guess is that they keep her underground and away from Ba Sing Se. You have to be careful, these people aren't to be fooled with.'

'You seem to know a lot about them.' Asami remarked, tracing her finger from village to village as to feel where Korra was.

'I've known the master mind behind this plan almost all my life.' Akena said sadly, standing next to Asami. 'He was a family friend, but he turned bitter. He tried to get me to his side, that's how I know his plans.'

'But you never warned anyone?'

'No, I didn't know how far he would take it. But when I realized you might be a target, I needed to warn you. I failed you in so many ways, I guess trying to keep you out of harms ways was the least I could do.'

'You should have told someone. You could have prevented all of this.' Asami said in stern voice. She wasn't in a forgiving mood.

'I see that now. That's why I'm helping you and the king.' Asami rolled up the map again and tied the string around it.

'So who is it? Who do I need to take down?' She wanted to get to the point.

'Mr. Yamamoto, CEO of Mountain Top Corporations.' Her aunt answered as if she was placing an order at a restaurant.

'Yamamoto? He was a friend of my father.' Asami said, raising her eyebrows.

'I would hardly call him a friend of your father. It was more a 'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer' sort of thing. He was a friend of the Oshiro family and he was deeply in love with my little sister, your mother.' Akena started to unravel her story. Asami didn't want to hear it. She couldn't get into her family's history, not when she had a mission ahead of her. But she didn't protest when Akena continued. 'Since he was a little boy he had been fond of Yasuko. She had that kind of effect on people. Even though she was younger than me, she was always the one to lead. She was naturally kind, smart and beautiful, so it wasn't really a surprise that people were drawn to her. But it were those features what drove us apart. Jealousy is a dangerous thing in teenagers and when I was eighteen I had about enough of standing in her shadow. Anyway, Yamamoto always thought he would marry her, but when she was older she met Hiroshi. A nobody who had made a fortune for himself. By that time I already moved out of the city. Yamamoto came visiting me after the wedding of your parents. He was polite enough, but you could hear the bitterness in his voice. A year later he married a woman from the Earth Kingdom. After that life seemed to go its way. You were born and I went to visit you and my sister for the first time in years. I got over my petty fights with Yasuko and decided that I needed to be there for my family. When I returned here Yamamoto was waiting for me. He was drunk and furious. He heard about your birth and he was broken by the news. You see, they found out that he and his wife weren't able to conceive. Yamamoto is an only child and a traditional man. He couldn't leave his wife for this and his bloodline was about to end, which is a terrible thing for a family with a rich legacy. He complained that you were supposed to be his daughter and how Hiroshi wasn't worthy of Yasuko. After that day it surprised me when I heard that he designed the new Sato estate, maybe he did it for Yasuko not able to refuse her as a friend. After your birth he visited me more often, he seemed to be interested in the way I fulfilled my duties as head of the district. He always was interested in politics. He seemed obsessed with a political theory he developed to give everyone in this world an equal footing. I stopped seeing him when he turned a bit too radical for my taste. I liked to be informed though and I had some of the village people working for him, warning me if anything weird went down. A couple of days before the Peace Festival I got word that he was planning on taking over the Earth Kingdom during the elections. He never believed in democracy, saying that half of the people didn't know what they wanted and just voted for the prettiest face. It was then that I decided to warn you.'

'Why me? I have nothing to do with the Earth Kingdom.' Asami took in the story as best as she could, but hearing about this mad man was hard. Definitely the cold and factual way Akena spoke about her and her parents. As if they were just objects from the past.

'The way he spoke about you when you were born. The way he said that you were supposed to be his daughter. He meant it. Besides, you were expanding your market to the Earth Kingdom. Future Industries was a thorn in his eye and now you were closing in. You have a lot of money and with teaming up with the Avatar you have a lot of political power as well. And you declared together with the Avatar to fight for democracy. This made you a serious threat. I just figured that he wanted to get rid of you.' Asami felt a pressure behind her eyes. Cold shivers ran down her limbs.

'I need to get back to work.' She said with choked voice, walking back to the plane.

'I didn't mean to upset you, but it's important that you know that this man is after you as well.'

'Not to upset me? Knowing that some lunatic has hated my existence my whole life and now has his hands on my girlfriend and friends, that's nothing but upsetting. Why haven't you told me earlier? Why haven't I heard from you this whole time until it's too late. Why did you and my parents kept this from me!?' Asami wasn't able to keep back her tears anymore. They ran freely over her face and it made her angry. This woman wasn't supposed to see how much this affected her. She needed to stay strong.

'Your father did sent me a letter after your mother's death. He pleaded for me to come to Republic City. He was worried that he couldn't bring you up alone. How you needed a mother. He was scared that he couldn't give you the childhood you deserved. He really loved you and I always remembered the goodness of his heart through that letter.'

'I know my father loved me. What I don't understand is how you could have stayed away after he asked for help. After you knew that I needed my aunt.' Asami's anger rose and so did the amount of tears.

'I just couldn't. I don't expect you to forgive me, but I…' Akena went quiet and turned away. 'Shall I bring you your breakfast here?' Asami didn't answer, but pretended to turn a screw loose in the engine of the biplane. Akena left the garage without a word. Tears dripped on the machinery. Asami was exhausted, emotional and physical, but she needed to go on. Out of frustration she threw the screwdriver across the room. _Please Korra, hold on_. She silently pleaded, wiping the tears from her face. That thought was the only thing that kept her going.

* * *

There seemed to be less hallucinations today. She could vaguely remember how she got here, but she knew that if she thought happy things her surroundings would change in broad fields of flowers and sunshine. If she blinked and started to struggle against her chains or recall how she ended up here her surroundings would close in on her till there was nothing left but darkness. This place worked a bit like the spirit world. So she tried her best to hold on to the fields of flowers. In the back of her mind she knew that she was hallucinating due to the poison that was in her food and water. But she was hungry and thirsty most of the time, so she just took it. Her little cell was hot and empty. The thought of being poisoned and kept in a small space would just mercilessly drag her down another nightmare. So somewhere along the line she had decided to ignore the unpleasantness.

'Naga, South Pole, bending, flowers, Asami, Mako, Bolin, parents…' slowly her chapped lips named all the things that gave her a warm feeling. The cell lighted up again and she saw various colours dance on the walls. With a click the door in front of her opened. She didn't shrug. Everyday a man would come around and tell her stories while she ate and drank. The stories were about a world in the future where everyone had an equal opportunity to develop his or her potential. Where everyone worked to make life better for everyone else. It sounded wonderful, but again there was a small voice in the back of her mind reminding her that she used to refuse those ideas. Despite that voice, she could now only see a little house surrounded with kind spirits and beautiful flowers. A place for Naga to roll in the grass. A living room, big enough to hold all of her friends and family. She would life there with Asami and everyone would be happy. Working on their talents to keep everyone happy. That is what she saw when the man talked about the promised world in the future. And she would fight for that dream.

But it wasn't the usual man who entered her cell. This man was thinner and he only brought a glass of water. Something in his face gave her a terrible feeling. A road, an automobile, fire? She didn't know anymore. Slowly he set the glass down in front of the Avatar.

'It's only water.' He said, not knowing if she could understand him. The week treatment of Yumi-berries did its work. Her eyes were matted, her hair was a mess and the formal dress she wore was dirty and draped around her body in a depressing way. He recalled how angry she was when she woke up in this cell. After three days the fire of her anger subsided and now the mighty Avatar didn't knew what was up or down. Another effect of the Yumi-berry was blocking her energy streams, making bending almost impossible. She was harmless and reduced to a sad heap of human.

He knew brainwashing was a terrible thing, but he couldn't imagine it being this bad. It made his stomach turn. But he forced himself to watch her every day. He was part of this and if he was going to go through with it, he had to know what it looked like.

'So have you thought about the new world order?' He asked, checking if the brainwashing actually worked. The Avatar took another sip, spilling most of the water on the floor.

'It's a house with spirits.' She whispered with a vague smile on her face. His stomach made another turn, the way she smiled was uncanny and sad. He was promised to have a good future, that everything would make sense, but it became harder to believe that this was worth it. He had no problem with eliminating people that were against their ideals. He made it as quick and painless as possible. Giving him no time to doubt his actions. But this was inhuman.

'Do you know Asami?' The Avatar asked out of the blue, something about him reminded her of the engineer.

'I have met miss Sato.' He answered, leaving out the details of their meeting.

'She's nice. She's also in the house.'

'You know that you won't be with her in the new world…' He said, surprised at his own words. Was he convincing the Avatar to snap out of it?

'I will, else why make a new world?' Pretty smart answer for someone who has escaped reality days ago.

'I don't know. It's not about me or you. It's about everyone.' He droned up.

'What's your house in the future?' He swallowed. He wasn't supposed to be here and he was definitely not supposed to talk to her. But he couldn't help it. The curious peaceful smile of her, while she was in a small cell that they made warmer so she would drink the berry.

'I-I dream sometimes of a house. A house in the woods. Somewhere rural. I had this dream since I can remember. I can smell herbal tea and hear a woman sing songs to me. I guess that's my house in the future.' He didn't know why he was telling this to her, maybe he was going soft. On the other hand, the Avatar would forget their conversation the minute he would leave the cell. That was, if she registered any of this.

'That's worth fighting for.' She replied, wanting to set the glass back down, but accidently tipping it over. He took the glass back and returned to the door. He couldn't look at her any longer. The feeling that he was on the wrong side of this operation was growing in his mind.


	9. Getting It Together

Getting It Together

* * *

'How could this happen!?' A fist slammed down on the desk. Raiko nervously readjusted his glasses and stared back at the chief of the Southern Tribe. 'My daughter goes missing for a week and I just hear about it yesterday!?' The anger flashed behind his otherwise kind blue eyes. He heard the news about the attack in Ba Sing Se and when he heard nothing from Korra, he thought she was alright and too busy with cleaning up the mess to call her parents. Being the father of the Avatar meant that you couldn't worry about every lack of communication, but yesterday news reached him that Korra was missing and without hesitation he took a boat to Republic City.

'Uhm, we thought the new president of the Earth Republic would have contacted you. We were wrong.' Raiko honestly didn't know why the chief was angry at him. He wasn't the Avatar's babysitter, thank the spirits.

'And what are you going to do about this?' Tonraq stared the president down.

'Well, we.. uhm… It's a delicate situation…' Tonraq grabbed the president by the collar and pulled him a little out of his chair, showing from whom Korra got her fiery character.

'Don't tell me about delicate situations. My daughter and her friends are gone. I want answers.' He let Raiko go, who sank back in his chair with a nervous gasp. 'I will look for her myself!'

'No, wait! Don't go to the Earth Republic. The last news we got from Avatar Korra was that the elections were a fraud. You might not know what you're walking into. Our chief of police is there, taking stock of the situation. We will hear back from her soon enough.' Raiko blurred out, not wanting Tonraq to make things more difficult than they already were. Something his daughter seem to do to him as well.

'A fraud? So the president is in on this?'

'We're not sure. But if you go barge in like this, things may escalate.' Raiko said, reposing himself. There was a soft knock on the door and before Raiko could answer Tenzin burst in.

'Tonraq! I heard you were in the city.'

'Tenzin, good to see someone sensible.' The chief answered and gave Tenzin a firm hand.

'Yes, don't mind me. I'm just trying to keep the peace.' Raiko murmured under his breath, upset with the bad manners of the Southern and the airbending master.

'I'm so sorry we reached you so late about Korra. We thought you already knew.'

'Better late than never.' Tonraq answered, glaring at Raiko.

'So any news from Lin?' Tenzin asked.

'No, they must have arrived yesterday. But it might be hard to find a secure line to inform us.' Raiko answered diplomatic despite his annoyance.

'We didn't know of anyone who wanted to corrupt the elections. This all comes as a suprise.' Tenzin said to no one in particular. He couldn't leave Republic City. He was member of the small counsel and panic had reached the streets of the city as well. People were worried that another Kuvira might stand up and attack their homes again. It was hard work to keep everyone calm.

Another knock on the door. _Oh for spirit's sake! This isn't a walk in office for everyone who just feels like it._ Raiko thought in desperation. At least this person was waiting for him to answer.

'Yes, come in.' Raiko said. The door was pushed open and one of his assistants poked his head in the office.

'The vice-president of Future Industries is here. He has news from Asami Sato.' He said with a calm voice. Tenzin and Tonraq looked up, feeling a flicker of hope.

'Yes, let him in.' Raiko said. The assistant nodded and disappeared from the door. Several seconds later Tadao entered. Surprised to see Tenzin and Tonraq, he made a little bow.

'Thank you for seeing me, President Raiko, Master Tenzin, Chief Tonraq.' He said politely. That was something Raiko always appreciated about Future Industries, the employees were polite and respectful.

'I heard you have news.' Raiko said.

'Yes, I just got a phone call from miss Sato herself. She's in the Fire Nation and told me that Future Industries should continue with the planned constructions in Republic City, but should delay all business with the Earth Republic.' It was silent for a while. The fact that she was in the Fire Nation meant that their problems extended beyond the borders of the Earth Republic.

'So it was just a business call?' Tenzin asked, a little disappointed with the news.

'Well, sort of. I think she was worried that someone was intercepting the phone call. So she kept the information to a minimum and vague.' Tadao said nervously, feeling the tension in the room.

'Did she say anything about the Avatar?' Tonraq asked.

'She said that she and Wu will be home soon enough, but first needed to get some things in order. But I was not to worry. She also said that I should tell the president about her right away. So constructions wouldn't be delayed. Now, of course I don't know anything for sure, but I think she wants to say that she and Wu are safe and are going back to get her friends.' Asami was hastily on the phone, but she sounded determined which meant she had a clear goal in front of her. She used the same voice when she spoke about year quotas or goals in new production lines.

'Okay, that's some good news.' Tenzin said, genuinely relieved. The fact that one member of team Avatar was safe and sound was good news indeed. And Asami was the kind of person who knew what she was doing. If she said that she was going to take care of things, she would. Of course, he still had to prepare to lent his help when the time came. 'Let's wait for Lin's phone call. Maybe she knows more. In the meantime we better keep calm.' Tenzin proposed. Tonraq nodded reluctantly. He didn't came all this way to sit still, but with the situation in the Earth Republic being way worse than he thought, it was better to wait for more information. He just hoped his daughter was okay and her friends were able to help her.

* * *

Asami rolled a bandage around her ankle to keep it more stable. She just had called Tadao to let him know she was fine and was aware of the situation in Ba Sing Se. Now she was preparing for take-off. Wu was loading some supplies into the biplane and saying his goodbye's to the people he befriended in the small village. You could say a lot about Wu, but he was very social.

Asami took a little time for herself to get in shape for the trip back. A small knock on the garage door dragged her out of her thoughts. Akena walked slowly up to her.

'Here, I washed your clothes. You could need a spare.' She said, handing Asami a bag. Asami nodded. She was wearing fire nation clothes and had wondered where her Future Industries outfit was. Akena cleared her throat and looked Asami in the eye.

'You asked me why I hadn't come visit you when you needed me the most. It wasn't that I didn't care or felt no love for my sister's family.' She started, picking up their conversation of that morning. Before Asami could say that she hadn't time for this Akena gave her a picture. On the picture was her aunt, she looked younger. Her facial expression was happy and tranquil and her hair was still all black. On her knee sat a little boy, smiling at the camera. 'That's Jun, my son.' Akena's voice sounded sombre and a deep sadness resonated through it. Asami looked up from the photograph and saw her aunt struggle with her emotions.

'We don't have to talk about it now. I can come back.' Asami said softly, but Akena shrugged the words away.

'I need to say this. Jun was born too early and people said he wouldn't make it through the first months. His father had already left us and I did everything to keep him alive. I made him potions from local herbs and plants. It was a tough time, not knowing if he would wake up the next morning, but he always did. He survived the first months and the months after that. His muscles were underdeveloped and he had trouble breathing sometimes, but with medication he grew up as an happy boy. He was interested in technique, playing with miniature Satomobiles my sister had sent him on his birthday. I thought travelling was too hard for him and your parents were tied to Republic City due to the growing business of Future Industries. So we haven't had the chance to visit each other. But your mother and I wrote a lot to each other in that time.' Akena took a break. Asami had a feeling that this story won't have an happy ending. 'Jun disappeared in the woods when he was six years old. People said that he must have had an accident, but we never found his body. This was around the time your mother died. I was lost in grieve for my son and I couldn't make myself go to Republic City or answer your father's letters. I had to wait for Jun. Years passed and I still haven't found him.' An uncomfortable silence fell over the garage.

'I'm sorry. That's no way to lose a child.' Asami said feeling sad for her nephew.

'I don't know. Somewhere in my heart I know he is out there. The chances of him surviving are slim, but if he died in the woods I must have found something.' Akena mumbled. Asami wanted to hand back the picture, but Akena refused. 'Keep it. If you see him somewhere, please tell him I'm still waiting here for him.' It was a stupid request, knowing that his chances on survival were close to zero. But Asami didn't say anything and put the picture away.

'I'll be off then.' Asami just said, standing up from her chair. Her ankle still felt uneasy, but she couldn't put too much thought on it. Mind over matter, that was important right now.

'Be careful.' Akena said as matter of goodbye. Asami wanted to leave the garage, but before she was out the door she turned around.

'I-I'm sorry I got so angry. There's just a lot going on right now. Maybe I can come back some time and we can talk about all this family stuff.' Asami said, not wanting to leave things on a bad note. 'I would like that.' Akena answered and for the first time the two smiled at each other. Asami still felt hurt by her, but if she learned anything from her last days with her father it was that she needed to forgive. With that thought she left for the biplane.

* * *

Yamamoto watched how the Avatar spooned up her gruel with shaky hands. Her simple meal was enough to keep her alive, but not enough to give her a full feeling. She was used to the constant nagging of her stomach and just tried to enjoy every bite of her tasteless diner.

'So you understand. You had your path laid out before you when you were born. The White Lotus made sure you could become your best self. Don't everyone deserve a White Lotus to explore and develop their talents? Isn't it a birth right to become the best you can? Everybody needs a little guidance before we all can be free.' His words droned through her head and the small house popped up in her head again.

'Everyone deserves a house with friends and family…' she mumbled in-between her chewing, not that there was a lot to chew on.

'Friends and family aren't important. That's what creates inequality, just like love. Some people don't have families. Is that fair? Should I tell the orphans that they are different due to some random act? That they can't enjoy life like others?' Yamamoto let a silence fall and Korra looked up to him, trying to come to an answer.

'No?'

'Exactly. The same goes for love. People in love are selfish. They just want to share with each other and don't care for the world around them. We need to establish bounds throughout the whole world without exceptions. Family ties, friendships or relationships exclude, we need to include everyone. Make everyone work for one another. It's not about individuals, but about the whole.'

'No individuals, but the whole.' Korra spoke after him, setting her bowl down in front of her. 'But I like my friends and family. I love Asami.' Whenever she said that name, pleasant colours sprang up on the walls.

'But isn't that selfish? You want to keep miss Sato to yourself while she has a company to run. Her duty is to advance technology, but with being with you she is hold back. She spends her time travelling the world without results. How much inventions could she have made while she was searching for airbenders with you or when you two escaped to the spirit world? I don't blame you, it's the world that got it wrong. There's too much freedom, too many ways to squander away your talents and time. You need guidance to avoid wasting your or someone else's potential. You and miss Sato have different duties to the world and it would be wrong to withhold those talents to indulge in yourselves.' His words were harsh but rang true. Or maybe they didn't. But he sounded self-assured enough.

Korra winched when her head filled with guilt. She always had a feeling that she was holding everybody back. When she was gone for three years Asami almost single handily redesigned Republic City. Bolin had a good job trying to help people. Mako became the personal bodyguard of royalty. When she returned they all dropped their work for her. She was the most selfish person on the world. Tears ran down her face while the cell seemed more cramped and she could feel cold claws tearing at her limbs, dragging her to oblivion. She didn't deserved the little house in the field of flowers. Her friends and family didn't have time for her. Asami had better things to do than to life with her in a small house.

Yamamoto saw the Avatar tremble and sink back against the wall. It was hard to let go of relationships, but it was the only way to become one with everyone else. To really make everything equal and organized.

'I know it's difficult to accept. Everyone wants to do whatever springs up in their hearts. But remember that there is no freedom without rules. Love is supposed to be for everyone. Love between two people only generates resentment and hate.' He stood up and a guard came in to take away the bowl. They left the Avatar to herself and locked the thick door of the small cell.

* * *

They had crossed the border of the Earth Republic a while ago and were approaching Ba Sing Se. The biplane had flown better than Asami could have wished for and the journey had been pleasant. Now the problem of landing somewhere safely without being seen came up. The desert was an option, there was space enough. But being stuck in the desert wasn't a good prospect. The forest was not an option as well. There was simply not enough space.

Asami's eye fell on a large lake in the middle of a forest when she scanned the ground below them. _Perfect. _She thought.

'Okay Wu, I'm going to try to land in the lake. You have to get out of the plane as soon as it's still on the surface.' She yelled to her companion, who shot up in shock.

'What!? You're going to land on the lake!? I'm pretty sure that's like super-duper dangerous!' He shouted back at her.

'Just hold on!' She knew it was dangerous. If she hit the water in the wrong way the biplane would crash on the surface. If she did land the biplane successfully, the force created by its sinking could pull them both to the bottom of the lake. But there was also a chance that they would make it out alive and Asami wouldn't have to worry about being found out. The biplane would be underwater, safe and out of sight.

With a turn Asami approached the lake again and started to descend. She took a deep breath and pushed all unnecessary thoughts away. The lake grew larger and larger while they came closer to the surface. Wu sat startled in his seat, praying to the spirits that he would survive this stunt. Soon the biplane was inches away from the water. Slowly it touched the surface and the plane slowed down abruptly, sending a shock through the machine. Wu could heard metal rip and he closed his eyes. Asami saw how the sides of the plan came off, but without too much casualties they came to an halt in the water. She turned the engines off.

'Wu, jump and swim to the shore.' She yelled. He opened his eyes and did what he was told. Asami got her backpack and a tube from under her chair. She made sure that Wu got out of the plane and jumped after him into the water. The shore was pretty far away and when they reached it they were both exhausted, their chested heaving up and down in need for oxygen. Asami saw the biplane go under in the distance.

'Next time let's use a landing strip.' Wu pointed out.

'Don't be so boring.' Asami joked, happy to be alive to hear the ex-king's complaints.

* * *

Opal had talked her way into the office of a construction company working on the repairs of the palace. With a sweet smile and mentioning her father Bataar, who had designed Zaofu with her equally brilliant mother, she was let into a makeshift office on the building site. She promised to look over some building plans, although she didn't had a clue about architecture despite her family name.

She paced up and down the room. A man had told her to wait so he could get the crew together. Opal didn't know how she was going to bluff her way out of this, but she was going to find a way. The door creaked open and caught her attention. A man in his thirties walked in and he looked familiar.

'Oh, hello. I'm here for a job interview.' The man said, looking at Opal questioning.

'Hi, I don't work here, so I can't help you. My name is Opal.' She said. The man looked her up and down, noticing her airbender wingsuit.

'Opal Beifong! I'm sorry, where are my manners. I'm Yuu.' He said shaking his head and extending his hand towards the airbender.

'Yuu, from the elections. Now I remember. I saw you're face on a poster.' Opal said, accepting his hand.

'Yes, well let's hope this job interview goes better.' Opal noticed the tired look of the ex-candidate. He had a shadow of a beard and looked a bit unclean.

'So, you work in construction?' She asked, thinking about how a man could let himself down like that.

'No, I work in management. I worked for Mountain Top Industries. This is a smaller company providing builders, but you already knew that of course.' He said, trying to flatten out his messy hair with his hands.

'Then why don't you go back to Mountain Top? They're more profitable and they already know you.' Opal asked in a kind voice.

'I don't know. I left there because it gave me the creeps.' Yuu answered raising his hands in the air and letting himself fall down on a small couch.

'The creeps?' Opal asked frowning. Yuu was the first odd thing she encountered on her research into the companies surrounding the attack on the palace. So she wasn't going to leave without Yuu explaining himself.

'Well, the CEO is a nice guy, but there's something off about him. I'm probably shouldn't say this.' Opal sighed, this man needed a little push. She took a seat across from him.

'Life is tough. I'm here waiting for my mom. She helps with the new designs for the palace, but the people from Mountain Top Corporations just seem to block her at every turn. They are polite enough, but somehow my mother can't seem to get any ideas through.' Opal made up a story to trigger Yuu in telling his. Lucky for her it worked.

'I know right! He wants you to put all your talent and enthusiasm into a project, just to nod and do something else completely!' Yuu yelled out in frustration over his old job, happy to find at last someone to complain to. 'He's supportive enough, but in the end I was feeling like I was running in circles. Like he was making you do work and promoting creativity, but never using your plans when they didn't overlap with his own. And you never can complain about it, because he would always say how proud he was of you.'

'Wow, that sounds infuriating. But you must have worked on cool projects with him?' Opal asked, wanting to hear more about the CEO. Yuu huffed in discontent.

'First I did. Later I just did paper work for his many orphanages around the Earth Kingdom. Registering the kids and making sure that the finances were in order. It was boring work. That's why I left for politics, I needed to believe I was more than a pen pusher.'

'And he let you go?'

'Yes, eventually. First he told me that politics was harsh and that, even though I was charming enough, there was just a small chance that I could win. Suggesting that the orphans needed me more and what's more beautiful than helping children in need. I said I needed to try it for myself and he just smiled, wishing me luck.'

'Did you like working for the orphanages?'

'Like I said, the work was mind-numbing. To be honest, it were weird places. The kids were trained in specialized areas as soon as they show a talent for something. Discipline was everything there. Some kids didn't like it and caused trouble. They always disappeared. I asked Yamamoto about that once, since I had to change the records all the time when a kid would leave. He said that they weren't running a prison, so the kids could leave anytime they wanted. Strange right? Where does an orphanage go on its own? I just didn't ask any further…' The door opened again.

'Yuu? You're here for an interview?' A young woman said.

'Ah, yes! They told me to wait here.'

'We have time for you now, if you would follow me.' She said. Yuu nodded and stood up.

'Sorry for the sob story. It's always a pleasure to meet a Beifong. We are lucky with your help.' Yuu said with a more formal voice. Opal smiled up at him.

'Good luck with the interview. Hope you get a more fulfilling job out of it.' She said genuinely. Yuu bowed towards her before leaving the cabin. Opal sighed. _That was a strange story. Maybe I should check out these orphanages._ She thought to herself, walking towards the door. Before she could open it the man who told her to wait wanted to enter. They almost bumped into each other.

'Oh, miss Beifong. The crew is ready for you.' Opal walked swiftly passed him.

'Don't worry about it. The plans looked great!' She yelled over her shoulder, exiting the building site, leaving the man in confusion.

* * *

Wu groaned when he pulled his leg free from a bush with thorns.

'When do we arrive in Ba Sing Se?' He whined, while Asami walked on bravely, supressing the pain in her ankle and head. She took a look at her compass. The contents of her backpack had become wet due to the water landing, but the sun was shining and most of their things were dry now.

'I don't know, but we must be approaching the desert soon.' She answered, not looking forward to sand in her shoes and a burning sun on her head. Wu took a small sprint to catch up with her.

'We could sing to kill the time. I know a great song about…'

'Let me guess, does it begin with badger and ends with moles?' Asami asked, rolling her eyes. She didn't get an answer though. 'Wu?'' She said, turning around. Wu stood still behind her, his eyes fixed on something on the ground. A few feet away from them was a pile of berries. Wu heard is stomach growl.

'Wu, don't! It's obviously a trap.' Asami yelled at him.

'Oh come on. That will be way to obvious. It's a pile of berries disguised as a trap.' He answered. Asami furrowed her brow going over the logic of what Wu just told her. Then she saw him move towards the berries.

'No!' She ran after him. Two steps away from the berries Asami tripped and stumbled forward into Wu. He lost his balance and fell with his face in the berries. They both held their breath, waiting for some kind of device to be activated.

'You see, no trap.' Wu said, licking some berries from his face.

'Wow, okay. I think you're…' With that they heard a tree branch creak and ropes beneath them swept them up into a net. They were caught. 'Wrong.' Asami said giving the ex-king underneath her a deadpan look.

'Well, at least we have some berries. Want some?' Wu said, repositioning himself in the net. He wiped his hand over his face and stuck his berry covered hand out to Asami.

'Hmmm, no thanks. I think I sit this one out.' She said with a disgusted expression.

'Fine, suit yourself!' Wu said, happy licking the remains of the berries from his hand.

* * *

Opal had inquired about orphanages around the city. A man at a bar was really helpful, although she was pretty sure his intentions to help her were less innocent. She was happy to leave the little bar after she wrote the addresses down on her hand and she flagged down a taxi. _I wish Juicy was here._ She thought, missing her slimy companion.

Sure enough a taxi stopped and she got in. The first orphanage was in the lower ring. There was nothing suspicious about that one. There were playing children and some supervisors. Another one was in a small town just outside the walls. Again, nothing strange. Opal sighed, she had still one address written on her hand. This one was further away and she was slowly but surely running out of time. She walked back to the taxi, making up her mind about what to do.

'I have one more address. It's a bit further into the desert, is that okay?' The taxi driver looked at her over his shoulder.

'Masago?' Opal peaked at her hand.

'Yes, how did you know?' The driver smiled into the rear mirror.

'I'm from Masago and you were looking into orphanages right? We have one there, I was once an inhabitant.'

'Really?'

'Yes, they trained me to navigate since I have a solid feeling of direction. In the end I couldn't keep up with the program.'

'So what happened then?' The driver shrugged his shoulders.

'They just stopped caring. When I was eighteen they got me a room in town and I never saw them again.' He continued, revving up the engine again. 'Anyway, I know a shortcut to Masago, so we'll be there in no time.'

* * *

'I kind of grew up alone. My family didn't let me be among common people. So my childhood was filled with luxury, which I love, and etiquette lessons. Now every time I meet someone I just want to take them to Wu-world. Do you know what I mean?' They were stuck in the net for about an hour now. Wu started singing but stopped when Asami started to kick him. Now he was just sharing his stories, which she preferred over his singing voice.

'I also kind of grew up in isolation. After my mother passed away my father kept me close. I had private lessons in everything at the estate. My father gave most of the lessons, preparing me to become the CEO of Future Industries. I never lacked anything except for friends. The employees at my father's company were always kind, but when I grew older I knew that they liked me because I was the boss's daughter.'

'But now you have friends! Mako told me you ran him over with your moped.' Asami couldn't help but smile at that memory.

'Yes, I was quite clumsy in that time. But I'm grateful I ran him over that day. Else I would never be part of this and I don't know where I would have been then.'

'Awh, it's such a good beginning for a romantic story! Of course Mako had to screw it up. Honest to spirits, he is so out of sync when it comes down to the ladies.'

'Well, I can't blame him for choosing Korra over me.' Asaim said with a smirk. Then the two heard barking. Wu shot up.

'Good, wild animals! I can direct them with my smooth voice!' _Oh spirits, not this again. _Asami thought, feeling her head pounding already. The barking got louder and soon enough a white polar bear dog jumped out of the bushes.

'Naga! It's you!' Asami yelled, feeling tears of happiness and relieve. She tried to turn around in the net which was harder than it looked. Naga barked happily at the duo and wagged her tail.

'Okay Naga, chew the rope around the tree. You can do it.' Asami said, pointing to the rope that kept the net tied up. Naga excitedly hopped around a couple of times and moved to the tree. She started to chew. 'That's it girl!' Asami said gleefully.

'You also know you're way around beasts.' Wu commented. With a snap the rope broke and Wu and Asami fell to the ground. Asami groaned, wondering which part of her body was now going to nag all the time. She felt a wet tongue licking her face.

'You're the best Naga!' She said despite the pain in her shoulder. She wrapped her arms around the head of the animal who helped her up. She tightened the hug, feeling closer to Korra then she had in days , petting the soft fur of the Avatar's spirit animal.

'Naga!' A familiar voice pierced through the forest. Asami looked up.

'Bolin!? Is that you!?' She yelled. If Bolin and Naga were here, maybe, just maybe Korra would be around. Either way, she was happy to find two of her friends. Bolin came running towards his lost friends.

'Asami! Wu! You guys are alive!' Bolin wrapped his arms around Asami and lifted her from the ground. When he put her down she ruffled up his hair. 'Mako is alive too! He's waiting at our cave. Come I'll take you there.' Bolin gestured for the two to follow him while Naga walked happily in front of them.

'Do you… Is Korra…' Asami didn't dare to ask. Bolin looked at her with sadness in his eyes.

'I'm sorry Asami. We don't know where she is…' Asami nodded.

'It's okay. We will find her.' She said. At least their team was stronger now they were reunited with Bolin and Mako. 'So did you made those traps?'

'Yeah, pretty good huh? Varrick had learned me how to make a couple of traps, saying how traps would open up your mind or something. I just liked to tie the ropes. I can't believe I tricked you into it, though. Me Bolin catching king Wu and Asami Sato!' Bolin said grinning. He might always lose from her in Pai Sho, but he did catch her in his net.

'Very impressive indeed.' Asami mumbled, smiling at her gloating friend.

* * *

'I heard you've been visiting the Avatar.' His voice sounded more booming than normal. He was annoyed beyond the point he could hide it.

'Yes, just checking how her treatment was going…' He gave a weak excuse. His visits to the Avatar became more frequent. He found out that the uncanny smile she flashed him in the little cell had its purpose. She was trying to influence her hallucinations by thinking about happy things. Which must be an extremely difficult task in such a depressing situation. It made him feel in awe with the girl. Sometimes she faltered and dread crept over her face. But usually she picked up a new thread of dreams and started to smile again. It was her way of staying sane and even though it looked like she wasn't fighting, she was constantly raging against her predicament.

'I'm personally in charge of her treatment. Don't worry about it. You have to find her friends and tie those loose ends together. I feel like I'm losing you.'

'I? Isn't it supposed to be we?' He mustered up the courage to ridicule his boss and master. Since he has been observing the Avatar, the feeling that he was wrong all those years was growing. Faults in the system started to show and pushed him into guilt and confusion. Yamamoto squinted his eyes, locking them on the young man in front of him.

'If you want to leave you can just walk out of the door. We're not running a prison here.'

'I'm exactly where I need to be. Where else must I go?' The big man scoffed at that statement.

'Don't play the victim here. You know why I asked you to eliminate Asami Sato, don't you?'

'Because she is close to the Avatar and the grief would make her turn to us easier?'

'Don't make me laugh. You're a smart man. You know exactly who you are, but you decided to shake those feelings off. Because you must have felt it when you looked at her car, when you tinkered with her alarm system, when you looked her in the eyes. Still, you wanted to kill her, even when I called you back. With that you chose to be on our side, so don't turn your back and tell me it's our fault.' The young man stared at his feet. If the Avatar could repress terrible thoughts, so could he. 'I give you one last chance. Bring me Team Avatar, dead or alive.' The young man nodded without looking up, turning around and left the room. It was clear to him what he had to do.

* * *

Opal stepped out of the taxi and told the man to wait for her. The village was small and humble. There was sand everywhere and the sun shone mercilessly, scorching everything in its path. She wiped her brow and wondered how people could life here. In front of her was an uncharacteristically big building with a fence around it. A sign hung besides the gates, _Yamamoto Orphanage_ it said. She grabbed the balusters of the fence and peeked inside. The gates where locked with a couple of chains and there were no children outside. Opal sighed and decided to walk around the building and would then head back to Ba Sing Se.

The perimeters where big and it took her a while to make the full round. The windows of the building were blinded and she saw no one, which was strange, but not enough to look into it. She was about to walk back to the taxi when three trucks approached the building. With a small burst of wind, Opal propelled herself behind a wall and peaked around the corner to the trucks. A couple of man emerged from the vehicles and bended the gates open. They looked well trained and strong. The trucks drove up to the orphanage and more people appeared. They all made a military impression and looked well disciplined. _That's weird for an orphanage. How much security do orphans need?_ Opal thought to herself when she saw the men closing the gates again and disappearing through the front door of the building. _At least I have something to report now._ She smiled to herself, thankful that her day was not spend in vain.


	10. Mission FKFCCFO

**Mission Free-Korra-From-Creepy-Corporation-Funded-Orphanage**

* * *

Asami was able to refresh part of Mako's bandages with the small first aid kit she had in her backpack. Mako had explained their situation and Asami was a little shocked at the poor state her friend was in. But he seemed to take it well, all though knowing him he was probably acting tough. The bandages Lin had applied yesterday were still okay, but some parts of his arm started to itch and Asami had offered to take a look. Now she was done she started on her own ankle.

'Are you okay?' Mako asked, looking at her wrapped ankle.

'Just a little sprain.' She sighed. Bolin and Wu were out to check the other traps, giving Mako and Asami the chance to rest a bit. Above the campfire a small cauldron, one of the few supplies Su brought them, was bubbling away. Bolin told them he was making his world famous forest gruel. Asami wasn't looking forward to dinner, remembering her first encounter with street gruel.

While they were enjoying the silence of the forest, Asami grabbed the tube she brought along. She opened the top and pulled the map she got from her aunt out. Mako raised his eyebrows.

'What's that?'

'A map with the places were Korra might be held captive.' Asami rolled out the map and showed Mako the encircled places.

'How did you figure this out?'

'I didn't figure it out. Would you believe me if I said that my aunt give me this?' Asami said, feeling a bit unsure about sharing this information for the first time. She felt comfortable to talk with Mako about almost anything, but the fact that she had an aunt still shook up her world.

'You have an aunt? That's why you were in the Fire Nation?'

'Yes, she's my mother's sister. She knows the man who is behind all this.'

'Hmmm, it's hardly a surprise that your aunt is a genius as well. So was it weird for you to find your family?' Mako said, hiding his own surprise, not wanting to distress his friend even more.

'I'm a bit confused right now, but it will be okay. The important thing is finding Korra and breaking her free.' Mako laid his hand on Asami's shoulder.

'You know you don't have to do this alone. We all want Korra to be safe, but that doesn't mean you have to wear yourself out.' He said with a worried voice. Asami looked paler than normal and her face betrayed her anxiety. But she wouldn't give into his concern.

'You're one to talk. Look at yourself.'

'Yeah, it sucks. I guess we're getting too old for Team Avatar.' He sighed. Asami laughed.

'Never make assumptions about a lady's age.' She said raising an eyebrow and playfully nudging his good arm. Mako laughed with her, feeling relieved that not everything was doom and gloom. With a sigh Asami sat down next to Mako, resting with her back against the cave.

'We'll be alright.' He said softly, keeping up his courage. Asami sighed and let her head fall against the firebender's shoulder, feeling the exhaustion rush through her body.

'I just can't let this happen to her. She doesn't need another trauma.' She mumbled. Closing her eyes.

'I know. But she'll make it.'

'You don't know that…' Mako rolled his eyes. He let his head rest against the top of Asami's head and closed his eyes to drift off with her.

'Ahum!' Wu cleared his throat loudly, making Asami almost jumping up from the sudden sound.

'I knew Mako's campfire stories weren't exciting.' Bolin teased his brother while he poured some undefinable ingredients into the cauldron. Asami didn't dare to ask.

'So found anything out there?' Mako asked.

'Nothing besides some underground mushrooms and weird looking berries which actually taste fantastic.' Bolin said, emptying his pockets. Asami held a berry between her thumb and index finger, staring at it intently.

'You know that these could be poisonous…' She said, looking concerned.

'That's why we tasted them!' Wu answered with a smug smile.

'Yeah, that's not a good way of checking if a berry is poisonous.' Mako said, wondering how he kept Wu alive all this time. Asami put the berry in her mouth and chewed on it. 'Asami!? What the heck?' He expected rash and incautious behaviour from his brother and Wu, but Asami knew better.

'What? They didn't die and are still standing. The berries tested non-toxic.' Asami answered dryly, feeling that her stomach was in need for something else than that gruel. Mako sighed and took a couple of berries as well, trusting Asami's logic. Bolin stirred the gruel and lifted some of the brownish contents to his mouth with the spoon.

'Hmmm, the earthly tones really combine good with the bits of grass and snails…' He hummed contently. Asami felt she was going to be physically sick and grabbed another hand of berries.

'So I have been thinking. We know where to look for Korra, but we don't have enough people to attack. Tomorrow morning we should focus on contacting Lin in Ba Sing Se. She can help us.'

'Alright, sounds like a plan!' Bolin agreed. _That would take most part of the day if we all go. Korra doesn't have that long._ Asami thought pained, but nodded at Mako's plan.

'I'm in. I know Ba Sing Se like the back of my hand. So finding the Beifongs shouldn't be a problem.' Wu said.

'Okay, so if we leave around…' Mako continued to work out his plan, while Asami was plotting something else in her head. It wasn't that she didn't like Mako's plan. It was the safest option, but Asami couldn't afford that much time. She hadn't told her friends that Korra would be killed if she didn't go along with whatever these creeps wanted from her. She didn't want to panic anyone, but the thought burned inside her mind. Tomorrow at sunrise she would take immediate action.

* * *

'Excuse me ma'am! You can't go in there!' A soldier yelled, trying to halt the fast pace of Lin Beifong.

'I need to see the president right away.' She said back, leaving no space for doubt.

'I know, you said that already. But it's very early and the president is not prepared for meetings yet.' More and more soldiers followed Lin through the halls. But none of them wanted to interfere with the angry earthbender.

Last evening Opal came back with news about an orphanage in a nearby village. She said it looked suspicious and Mountain Top Corporations owned the place. Lin left that night to check out the building in Masago herself. A cloak and the dark night sky hid her face from any unwanted followers. With her compass and knowledge about the desert she had found Masago in no time.

The orphanage in the small village wasn't hard to find. It was by far the largest building around. There were men outside, guarding the grounds behind thick fences. With her seismic sense Lin could see that the building had a strangely large basement reinforced with platinum. That were enough facts for Lin to have serious suspicions.

She drove back immediately and made a plan with her sister and niece. Su would visit the CEO of Mountain Top Corporations in the morning and Lin would go to the president. This would cause enough uproar for Opal to sneak away to the forest and inform Mako and Bolin. After Lin would visit the president she would go to Masago, checking if anything happened at the compound. If something did happen she would break in and search the place.

So here she was, fuming inside at the thought that Korra had been in some CEO's basement while the president did nothing to investigate the matter.

'I swear the president is still eating breakfast. He can't meet you.' The soldier practically begged her for the last time. But Lin barged into the presidential office. President Susumu looked up in a bewildered state. He was sitting on a couch with three other formal looking people, discussing the papers that were spread out on the table between them.

'Looks like he's done with breakfast.' Lin snapped, staring the soldier down at the door. He gulped and slowly stepped back.

'H-hello, Chief Beifong. What an honour…' Susumu spoke uneasy. He stood up and shuffled towards her, giving her an hand.

'I have urgent matters to discuss. It's about Avatar Korra.' Lin said, looking at the nervous face of the old man.

'Okay, r-right. Hmmm, I'm in a meeting you see. The republic has some infrastructural problems due to which some kids can't get proper education. We need to solve that, knowledge is the future…' Susumu softly spoke, not daring to look the chief in the eyes.

'I'm all for education, trust me. It will spare me from a lot of idiot rookies. But the Avatar concerns the whole world and her life is at stake. I'm here to inform you that we found a suspicious compound and we need to break into the building.' Lin came to the point. The president shifted uneasy on his feet.

'Oh, t-that's great news. What com-compound? Ba Sing Se's police department will of course support this…this investigation.'

'An orphanage in Masago owned by Mountain Top Corporations.' The old man flinched at hearing that name, which told Lin that he knew more. She had to supress the urge to lift the man up by his collar and shake every piece of information he held out of him. But that wouldn't be professional.

'Jeez, that's somewhat unexpected. Do you have proof? I-I mean someone like you thinks things through, I don't doubt that. But Mr. Yamamoto is a respectable citizen here and we can't just trespass his grounds…'

'This wasn't a question for permission, mister president. I'm just giving you an update. The United Republic of Nations will deploy searching parties and help you with finding the Avatar. You don't have a problem with that do you? Since we all want the Avatar back.' Lin glared at the man, who shrunk under the gaze of the Chief.

'Of course, l-like I said. Ba Sing Se's police department supports you.'

'Good! Have a nice day, keep those children smart.' Lin turned around and stomped out of the office with the same rigorousness as when she came in. This would kick up enough dust for their opponents to take action. If anyone was trying to move something or someone out of that compound, Lin would take action.

Susumu swallowed in anguish as he heard footsteps making their way down the hall. With shaking hands he excused himself and dialled a number on the phone in the far corner of his office.

'Yamamoto residents. How can I help you?' A friendly voice greeted her caller.

'T-this is Susumu. Lin Beifong is heading towards Masago.' A click and a dead line was the response he got. He swallowed again, feeling sweat pour down his face. He didn't want to deal with this unpleasantness, he just wanted to make the Earth Republic a better place. Starting with the educational facilities. That was the whole reason why he got himself into this.

'Uhm, president Susumu. We were looking at the options for school busses.' One of his guests said.

'Y-yes, sorry. What a mess.' He mumbled, shuffling back to the couch.

* * *

'Master, Suyin Beifong is here to meet you.' His assistant spoke with his head down, knowing that Yamamoto was stressed out these days and in a bad mood.

'What does she want?' He asked. The Beifong's were a source of annoyance. They were cooperating with the Avatar, but he couldn't get rid of them. They were too famous to take down without anyone suspecting something. So he put most of his men to the task of keeping an eye on them.

'She won't say. But yesterday we got word that Opal Beifong was seen at our base in Masago. And Lin Beifong was caught calling the president of Republic City very early in the morning. We have reason to believe that she reported to have found Team Avatar. Maybe they are on to something.' Yamamoto let out a growl which made his assistant take a step back. He was getting closer to creating the world everyone deserved, but there were still to many obstacles. If they were getting closer to the Avatar he needed to kill her and waiting for the new Avatar was an unwelcome delay in his plans.

'Lin Beifong is bluffing. Where is Opal Beifong right now?' The assistant shifted uneasy on his feet.

'We don't know sir…'

'What do you mean you don't know!?' He asked, standing up from his chair. He took the pain to educate these people and all they could do was mess things up at the time he needed them the most.

'Shin was in charge of following Opal Beifong, since she was the closest to Team Avatar in his opinion. We haven't heard from him today and we can't reach him.' A cold shiver ran up Yamamoto's spine. He was losing him.

'Track down Shin and the Beifong girl immediately! I'll deal with Suyin.' He said, practically spitting out his words. With big steps he left is office, heading towards the room where he met with his guests.

'Mrs. Beifong, what an honour.' Yamamoto said, walking towards Su. He had trouble with keeping his voice friendly. Su noticed his strange energy, but forced herself to smile and accept his handshake.

'It's an honour to meet the CEO of such a brilliant company.' Su returned the compliment when they both sat down on the couch.

'I'm in no position to refuse a Beifong. So to what do I own the pleasure? I'm sorry to be so direct, but there is a lot of work on my plate as you can imagine.' Yamamoto said, showing his impatience.

'I'm very sorry if I come at a bad time. I just wanted to compliment you with the good work you've done for ages. The wonderful buildings you've built and the support of the orphans throughout the Republic. After the attack, morale has been low, so I thought I let you personally know that I and Zaofu support your company to the fullest.' Su said with a straight face, focussing on the man in front of her. She detected a couple of twitches in his face. He really didn't feel like talking to her.

'Thank you…' He murmured. She was totally wasting his time. 'How is your son, Bataar Jr.?' He asked. Su was taken aback. Was he openly trying to hurt her or was this mere interest?

'He's imprisoned because of the crimes he committed under the rule of Kuvira. But he is coming around.' She said, slightly thrown off balance.

'Yes Kuvira. That was something. We have a lot in common. We like architecture and taking in orphans.'

'I guess…' Su said, not knowing where the CEO wanted to go with this.

'Must be hard to be let down by someone you practically raised out of the goodness of your heart. I heard she wanted to share the technology of Zaofu with the rest of the world.' Su just nodded, squinting her eyes. Yamamoto sounded weird. He talked with the tone of a teacher explaining the same sum over and over to a distracted student. 'It wasn't a wrong cause. She just let power blind her in achieving her noble goal.'

'I think it's wrong to press one's ideals onto people. Zaofu is a good place to live, but that doesn't mean that we have the right to tell other people how to spend their lives.' Su argued.

'See, that's where we differ.' Yamamoto stood up and poured himself a drink at a cabinet. He didn't bother offering Su a drink. He couldn't dispose of the Beifong family, but he didn't need them for his plan. Making Su Beifong hate him probably would work in his advantage, making her blind for the obvious, if she was the kind of person to give into such sentiments. With slow steps he returned to the couch, crossing his legs and taking a luxurious sip of his whiskey. Su kept looking at him reproachful, it was way too early to be drinking.

'Do you believe in the truth, Su? If I may call you Su.'

'Yes and if you like.'

'Would you say truth is singular or multiple?' Su raised an eyebrow. She wasn't into this sort of theoretical games, but she had no choice but to play it.

'What do you mean? There are a lot of matters that could be true.'

'Yes, but if I said that it rained outside, could it be equally true that it didn't? Provided that we are looking out of the same window.'

'No, that would be a paradox.' Su made sure she sounded unimpressed and certain.

'Exactly, so you would say that if something is true, then only that thing is true and not something else. If it rains it doesn't snow.' Su nodded, wanting to get on with this. 'Do you think that what is good is also true? I mean you give your people technology because you think it will do them good and you also think that that's true.'

'But it's not the only way to make a good society.' Su rebottled, not wanting to give in.

'Oh Su, don't be naïve. If you actually thought there was a better way to make a society, you would have created Zaofu differently. But you didn't. So Kuvira was right, she was only wrong in her execution. You have a responsibility to the world to give everyone the good life they deserve, but you don't want that kind of pressure. Your reasons for refusing to enter politics were purely selfish and that is fine. You're not a politician, you're an visionary. Still, you shouldn't keep your technology for yourself. Nothing in this world is free. Life gave you the talent to organize and envision a good society and you have to give that back to the world. We all have to carry our load for a better world.'

'I made Zaofu the way it is, because it's a good way of society in my eyes. I believe it to be true that technology enriches life, but that doesn't mean that I should force everyone to think the same.'

'Who said forcing? I'm talking about educating. Would you let a child make the mistake of saying two plus two is three without correcting him? Saying that that is his truth even though you know that two plus two equals four. How is living a good life different? People deprived of advances in science might think they're happy and content, but they are wrong. Their life could be better, but they don't know that two plus two equals four. You should educate instead of shrugging your shoulders and hide behind your metal constructions. We need to share our wisdom! That's what it means to have a fulfilling and good life.' With one flick of his wrist he downed his drink. 'Now if you'll excuse me, I have a corporation to run.' He said abruptly, leaving the room.

Su stared at the door. What had just happened? This man was definitely fishy, but he didn't even try to hide it. It was as if he wanted to be found out, all though a strange conversation about the truth and the good was hardly a reason to suspect him of anything.

Reluctantly Su stood up and walked to the exit, friendly nodding to the assistant present at the door. Whatever Yamamoto's game was, she wasn't going to play it nor show that she was distraught by his strange manner.

Yamamoto returned to his desk, trembling from annoyance. How could someone be so smart and yet so ignorant. His assistant poked his head around the door again.

'Mrs. Beifong has left. She will be tailed throughout the day.'

'Good, if you see anyone close to our base in Masago give the order to execute the Avatar. Make it swift so she doesn't go in the Avatar state, we need the new one.' The assistant couldn't help but gulp at the macabre demand, but he nodded. He walked back through the hall to inform the people at Masago when he saw one of his female colleagues running towards Yamamoto's office. _What a stressful morning._ The assistant thought, shaking his head well walking further down the hall.

* * *

Asami petted Naga on her head, while she let the polar bear dog drink from a small bowl with water. The sun was just coming up and this was her window to get to Ba Sing Se without the others noticing. Naga growled happily at the hand scratching behind her ear.

'Shhhh, we shouldn't wake anyone up.' Asami whispered, climbing on the animal. But it was already too late, a sleepy Mako stumbled out of the cave.

'Waaah! Hey Asami…. What… What are you doing!?' Mako gasped in between his yawns.

'I'm sorry Mako. I have to do this. I'll be back with Lin before you know it.'

'No! It's dangerous and you're not even equipped with your glove! We have a plan!'

'The plan takes too much time! Korra doesn't have that much time!' Asami yelled back. Her raised voice shocked Naga and made her stand on her hind legs, throwing Asami off.

'Ouch, sorry Naga. I didn't mean…' Asami realised that her angry demeanour had scared the animal. Naga stared back at her, turning her head sideways.

'Come on Asami, we need to stick together.' Mako tried to calm her. Bolin and Wu walked out of the cave due to all the yelling outside. Asami felt tears burn in her eyes.

'We need to do something now. They are going to kill her Mako! I don't want to wake up to the news that there is a new Avatar and the old one was thrown away like garbage!' She pushed her eyes into her arm, feeling the tears welling up to the point they were going to fall. Mako felt his mouth go dry and Bolin swallowed hard.

'It's true. Her aunt had told us that they would dispose of Korra if she was no use to them.' Wu said softly.

'I don't want Korra to be hurt as well. It just can't cloud our judgement. We need to stay focussed else we will make things worse.' Mako said, kneeling beside Asami. But she was about done with being careful.

'Guys, sorry to interrupt our sad epiphany, but something is coming through the bushes.' Bolin hissed, taking a eartbending stance. Everyone turned their heads towards some rustling bushes and held their breathes. Soon enough Opal emerged, plucking twigs from her hair.

'Opal! You're back!' Bolin yelled, hopping happily towards her to give her a strong hug.

'I sure am and I have great news! Lin and my mom ar… Wu!? Asami!?' Opal said in surprise. Asami got up and swallowed her tears back.

'Hello Opal.'

'What? How did you get here? Not that it isn't nice to see you.'

'We flew in from the Fire Nation and Bolin caught us in his trap… It's a long story, what is the great news?' Asami answered.

'Oh, yes. We know where Korra is, at least where we suspect her to be. There is an orphanage in a small village called Masago, owned by Mountain Top Corporations. Lin checked it out last night and found a large basement under the compound. She is talking to the president right now, while my mom occupies the CEO of the company. We should hurry to the orphanage, if Lin sees anything suspicious she's going to break in and she needs our help.'

'Masago, that's on the map. Let's go!' Asami said with renewed hope and energy.

'Okay! Let Mission Free-Korra-From-Creepy-Corporation-Funded-Orphanage begin!' Bolin said, pumping his fist into the air.

'Yes, just let me put on my shoes.' Wu commented.

'Hmmm, maybe it is best that you hold the fort here. I mean, there is going to be a lot of fighting.' Mako said as friendly as he could.

'I can fight! Asami tell him! Tell him how you taught me to fight like a little girl.' Wu said, slightly insulted by Mako's remark. Mako looked at Asami with a frown.

'Like a little Sato girl…' Asami added to strengthen Wu's statement.

'Fine, just be careful.' Mako said.

'Right on, more man power!' Bolin kept the group's spirit high.

* * *

'Good day sir, what can we do for you?' The guard spoke politely, bowing his head. He was way younger than the guard, but Yamamoto had always treated him as his heir. So people were tending to be more formal with him. Which was strange for an organization that claimed that everyone is equal.

'I want to check up on the Avatar.' He said with clear voice. The guard looked him up and down. He was wearing his normal uniform and he carried a satchel. The guard could not remember that the Avatar was getting any visitors, but he wasn't going to refuse him access.

'Okay, she's probably still asleep though. She just had her breakfast.'

'That's okay. I just want to make sure the berries are doing their work. Yamamoto gave his permission of course.'

'Then it's okay I guess. We didn't get any messages about an extra checkup, but reception has been bad around this place lately.' The guard said while he walked him to the Avatar's cell. There weren't a lot of guards around. The Avatar was in no state to escape on her own and her friends would be spotted outside if they came to rescue her. So there was no need for guards in the basement.

'That is a problem. I would look into that later.' He answered in a friendly voice. The guard nodded and opened the heavy door to let him in. He saw the Avatar lying on the ground, but she wasn't sleeping. She was drawing waves with her finger on the floor and didn't even care to look up who entered her cell. He guessed it was all the same to her. Whether he entered or Yamamoto or whoever. Her situation wasn't getting any better. But soon she would get relieve.

'How are you Avatar Korra.' He said, putting his bag on the floor and browsing through it. Korra still didn't react, her finger making small circles. 'I guess you're doing fine…' he answered his own question. He found what he was looking for in his bag and slipped on the glove without pulling his hand back. He breathed in slowly, going over all the reasons of what he was going to do. _Get rid of the past to start the future._ He had read that once in a book about revolution. A goal he had strived for his whole life.

* * *

Su arrived at Masago. She saw her sister staking out, keeping an eye on their target with binoculars.

'Seeing anything suspicious.' She asked, while she joined Lin behind the small wall.

'There is definitely activity. I called Raiko, he agreed to an attack if we had enough evidence. He will send reinforcements this way, but it will take a while before they arrive. Tonraq is among them…'

'Okay, let's hope the kids are here soon.' Su said. Lin nodded, seeing how some turmoil arose in front of the orphanage. More guards were coming out. They must be aware about the search Lin had announced to the president just a small hour ago.

'Here they come!' Su said, seeing Opal and her friends approaching the sisters.

'Hello, we're here. Did something happen?' Opal asked. Lin lowered her binoculars and looked at the group.

'Asami, Wu, you're here.' She said in surprise.

'Yes and we're ready to help.' Asami answered.

'Good, we need to break into the building right now. They are preparing for something, better nip it in the bud. I sensed that most guards are outside, so we need to get some people inside as fast as we can while the others keep the guards outside occupied. Is everyone ready to fight?' Lin asked, letting her eyes linger on Mako.

'I'm okay.' He said, knowing that this was not the time to back down. Even more so after Asami told him they could kill Korra any time now.

'Good. I will metalbend the gates open. At exactly the same time Bolin and Su will raise two walls, securing the pathway towards the entrance. Mako and Asami will get inside as fast as they can, I will follow them directly. Opal, Su and Bolin will make sure that no one enters the building from the outside.'

'What about me? What do I do?' Wu asked in anticipation. Lin raised an eyebrow and looked at Mako for an explanation. He shrugged his shoulders. Lin sighed.

'You… you can distract the guards outside and prevent yourself from getting killed.' She decided.

'Okay! Look out guards, Wu is coming for you and there is no escape!' Wu yelped, excited about his first infiltration mission.

'Okay, I'll count till three. On three we all charge forward. Everyone ready?' The group nodded with serious faces. 'One, two, THREE!'

* * *

Lin's plan worked perfectly. Once inside Mako showed he was more than ready to fight. Even though he had to grit his teeth together to ignore the pain in his arm, his bending was flawless. In seconds he had the hall of the orphanage cleared from guards. Asami pulled off an electrified glove from one of the non-benders. She turned a little knob on the thing to put it on stunning instead of killing. The two of them took out the other guards running towards the entrance.

'This way!' Lin yelled, while she ran down a corridor. She had sensed a tunnel in this area, probably the stairs leading towards the basement. Asami pushed her glove down on another bender who had it out for Mako and blue flashes drove him to the ground. She picked up her running pace to catch up with the other two while they made their way to the stairs. The adrenaline pumped through her body, which dulled the throb in her head and ankle. Making her move more freely.

Lin bended open a couple of doors and more guards were spilling out, a sign that they were going the right way. Mako shot a couple of precise aimed fire balls and cleared to way to the basement. The trio went downstairs and to their surprise there weren't a lot of guards left. _Most of them must be outside. I hope Bolin, Opal, Su and Wu are doing fine…_ Asami thought taking out one of the few guards that were running up the stairs.

'Mako, keep an eye on the stairs. We'll check the cells.' Lin commanded. Mako nodded and turned towards the entrance of the basement. There was one long corridor with doors lining up the walls. Lin bended them open, while Asami checked if they were empty. The rooms were definitely prison cells. They were equipped with a bed, a toilet and a sink.

Lin opened another door and Asami stepped inside with her glove held in front of her. In the cell was an unconscious man. His clothes were stripped off, leaving him with nothing but his underwear. Asami pressed two fingers of her free hand into the man's neck, feeling a faint heartbeat.

'He's still alive.'

'Then we will come back for him.' Lin told her, moving on to the next cell. She busted the door open and Asami jumped in again. This cell was smaller and to Asami's horror there were chains attached to the wall. But her heart dropped when her eye caught a little piece of cloth. Slowly she let herself fall down her knees, cupping the cloth in her hands. She recognized it as the fabric of Korra's dress. _Oh no… I'm too late… We're too late. _

'Asami? What is it? We need to go on!' But Asami didn't register Lin's words. She was readying herself for tears or a nervous breakdown, but nothing happened. It was as if her emotional circuit had shut down and she felt nothing. Her vision blurred around the little piece of fabric. She felt empty, a vacuum surrounded her heart and she didn't care. She felt a hand on her shoulder, but it didn't matter. Her body won't budge and her senses were dimmed by a substance that absorbed all her feelings, all her thoughts, everything she ever was. _It doesn't matter anymore…_

* * *

**_The end of another chapter. I want to thank everyone who read the story up till now. It's much appreciated and you all make it a joy to write!_**

**_Till the next chapter,_**

**_Ryne_**


	11. The Price For Freeing the Avatar

**The Price For Freeing the Avatar**

* * *

The sun was shining and sparkled off the pound. Bolin was lying with Opal on the green grass, she rested her head on his chest and heard the calming pump of his heart. Mako was sitting against a tree nearby, enjoying the shade. The scene in the palace's garden would have been peaceful, but the friends were consumed by worries.

After Lin and Asami found the cell with a piece of cloth from Korra's dress and blood stained chains attached the wall, all kind of scenarios were popping up in the minds of the friends. Some worse than others. While Lin, Mako and Asami were clearing the orphanage, outside the fight was escalating. Bolin kept the leftover guards out of the building by raising a ring of lava. But their opponents were well trained and blocks of rock, fireballs, metal plates and even some ice spikes were fired to them non-stop.

Su had called in the police with her walkie-talkie connected to the nearby police station. She expected the infiltration to be difficult and made sure she could call for back-up at any point. But it took around an hour before reinforcements came and the last of their opponents fled for the police force. By then the friends were exhausted and hurt. Mako felt like he was picked apart and reassembled by a sloppy technician. Bolin's arms trembled from keeping up the lava for an hour. Su and Opal panted and were covered in dust and bruises.

Lin re-emerged from the building a couple of minutes later with the evidence she found and bad news to tell. Asami was still in the basement, it took a lot of time and encouragement till she would move and was transported with her friends to the Ba Sing Se palace. There they all got treatments from healers, except for Asami who immediately retreated to her room.

That evening reinforcements arrived from Republic City. They sent two airships with Tonraq and the most talkative ex-general of the United Forces, Bumi. Lin and Su went over the battle they had fought with them and decided on the next plan. After that, night crept up and even though the friends were too worried to keep their minds quiet, they slept like logs from exhaustion.

Now there was a new day and investigations were still running. Lin and Su went to meet the president and talk over a plan to find Korra. Asami hadn't reappeared from her room and Tonraq was calling his wife.

Mako sighed and let the silence dawn on him again.

'Hello there my favourite modern day hero's!' A voice yelled across the garden. With a couple of fast strides Bumi reached the friends.

'Hello Bumi.' Bolin said, with less happiness in his voice than normal.

'It's a beautiful day don't you all think?' The old, new airbender commented, squinting his eyes to the sun.

'I guess…' Opal said absentminded. Bumi looked at the small group. They were down and for good reason, but no one was going to be found if they just laid defeated across the garden.

'You know, one of my first missions for the United Forces was a tracking mission. Some princess or other ran away from home. Now I can tell you that me and the boys weren't looking forward to search for a spoiled brat, but what choice did we have? We looked for her everywhere, we talked to her friends, family, acquaintances. Not a trace! Do you know how we found her?' Bumi asked, looking around the group of people. Bolin sat up and startled Opal, but he couldn't help being intrigued.

'You guys summoned spirits with candles and flutes… No, no, wait! She never left her home, but disguised herself as the butler!' Bolin did some guesses. Bumi grinned and shook his head.

'One word! Magic of the Shaman!' Bumi revealed.

'That are four words.' Mako murmured under his breath.

'We met this shaman in the desert. He was in a tent and if you ask me he wasn't big on hygiene. Anyway, with a little bit of cinnamon, a sprinkle of salt, a fire and some belongings from the missing person: boom! He knew exactly where to look for that missing girl!' Bumi continued.

'And where was she?' Bolin asked with glistering puppy eyes full of expectation.

'At some luxurious spa run by one of her aunts. We had a lovely day there.' Bumi grinned.

'So what are you telling us? We need to find a shaman in order to find Korra?' Mako said, feeling fed up with the stories of the airbender. This was just not the time.

'Good thinking Mako! We got a piece of cloth that belongs to Korra , you can make fire and I'm sure there must be salt and cinnamon in the kitchen. Does a palace have a kitchen?' Bolin ranted. Mako pinched the bridge of his nose, the annoyance made him almost say terrible things to his brother.

'There are no shamans in the Earth Republic… At least, not a lot of them.' Opal said, trying to stop Bolin's derailing train of thoughts.

'That's probably true. But there are more ways to Ba Sing Se or to our good old friend the Avatar. We just have to find our metaphorical shaman.' Bumi explained, getting confused looks from his crowd.

'And what may our metaphorical shaman be?' Opal asked sceptical.

'Well, could be anything. But if I was still with the United Forces, I would start with the trail Lin found behind the orphanage. She hadn't had a chance to look into that.' Bumi suggested.

'She found a trail and she didn't tell us?' Mako asked, hearing at last something worthwhile.

'The desert wind blows away most trails that are made in the sand, so she had reason to believe that it led to nowhere. But it is at least a hint towards your shaman.' Bumi concluded and stretched himself out. 'Well enough old stories. Got to call my little brother for an update.' Bumi waved and left the garden.

'We have to go back and find that trail! Maybe Naga can track down whoever escaped there.' Mako said, feeling the defeat leaving his body.

'Alright let's do it!' Bolin agreed.

* * *

It was yesterday that her world came to an halt. That was probably the best way to describe it. She was moved from the small cell to another room. A room with a bed, a bathroom and a nice view of the city. There was turmoil around her, but she didn't care. She heard people talk to her, but she didn't listen. She saw the faces of her friends, pale and worried, but she couldn't bring herself to say something. Her head was empty and her feelings had hit a bottom where they kept lying still. She couldn't recall eating, sleeping or waking up for that matter. She sat on her bed, staring at the door in front of her. Her hands laid uselessly on her knees. She could still feel the little piece of cloth in her palm.

A soft knock followed by the creaking of an opening door brought her fleetingly back to reality. A tall, tanned man stepped into the room. She recognized him immediately and even though she could rationalize how bad she felt for him or how much she wanted to help him in any way she could, his presence couldn't coax any emotions to the surface of her consciousness.

Tonraq took in the blank stare of the woman to whom his daughter so bluntly had declared her love. Her friends had told him that she wasn't taking Korra's disappearance very well and Lin said that she was suffering from shock and exhaustion. As a result she had been catatonic for the last few hours.

Carefully he sat next to her, trying not to disturb her. After a moment of silence Asami turned her head towards him.

'I'm so sorry…' Her trembling lips managed to bring out. He nodded. When he arrived in Ba Sing Se and all the police had to show him was a small piece of clothing and blooded chains in a basement, he felt an enraging pain. He called Senna and they were both worried beyond their wits, but he never stopped believing that his daughter was somewhere out there.

'We're still looking for her.' He spoke clearly. He heard from Wu that Asami had single-handedly assembled a biplane and hadn't rest before she could safe Korra. For that he was eternally grateful and it was hard to see her this lost.

'So how are you doing?' He asked somewhat awkwardly, since it was clear that she wasn't doing very well.

'I don't know.' Came her simple reply. He sighed. It wasn't that Tonraq didn't feel exhausted and desperately clung onto every shred of hope, but he couldn't let himself be defeated, not like this. And he'll be damned if he let his daughter's girlfriend waste away in a room.

'Maybe you should take Naga out for a walk. She's becoming restless in the city and I don't have time to take her.' He made his plans clear. Being outside would do the girl some good and with Naga by her side he didn't have to worry about her safety. Besides, Naga was a very sensitive animal and had a knack for comforting people. He had witnessed often enough how the polar bear dog had dragged Korra out of many emotional downfalls.

'I-I don't know…'

'Well I do. Freshen up, I'll wait. This is no vacation, we need to work.' Tonraq said uncharacteristically stern. Asami didn't need to be tiptoed around, she needed something to do. To his surprise she nodded dully and stood up. She swayed dangerously to the left, not used to standing anymore, but recovered her balance soon enough and walked to, what she assumed was the bathroom.

With splashes of water in her face she woke up a little from her sedated state. Looking at her face in the mirror didn't make her feel any better though. He skin was pale beyond believe and there were dark rings under her eyes. She must have lost weight, since her cheekbones were more present than normal. She didn't feel like taking Naga for a walk, but then again, nothing really mattered anymore, so she might as well.

* * *

Lin and Su were silently waiting for the president in his office. Since their attack they hadn't had a lot of time to rest and they were burning their last energy. But stubbornness ran in the Beifong family and they were both determined to pull their weight.

With a soft creak the door opened and Susumu shuffled in, bowing in front of the sisters before taking a seat. Su nodded to him, but Lin just stared him down with crossed arms. She didn't trust the president.

'So… hello. I wanted to let you know that the commotion in the city is curbed by the police. Things should t-turn to normal, soon.' Susumu said, fidgeting with his hands.

'Except that we're still one Avatar short.' Lin said with a cold stare.

'Y-yes! Of course, that's very… unfortunate. We are looking for Yamamoto, but h-he's not at his home.'

'Of course he isn't! He is being accused of abducting Avatar Korra. If I was him, I would be out of the Republic by now. The question is what are you doing to find him?' Now it was Su's turn to verbally assault the president. He swallowed, feeling captured between to solid walls that came closer and closer to crush him.

'Well,… i-it's a very complicated matter.' Lin slapped her flat hand on the table, making the president tremble.

'It's not complicated! You just have to contact the leaders of the other nations to inform them about Yamamoto and send your own detectives out to find him. As far as I have seen there isn't a lot of police activity around the buildings owned by Mountain Top Industries or its CEO. So why don't you start there!' Lin was losing her temper. The police was late when they infiltrated the orphanage, they were reluctant to help investigate the perimeters afterwards and now they were sitting at their stations doing nothing. Meanwhile Yamamoto disappeared into thin air and she suspected that Susumu was stalling.

'Right, I could do that. I-I will do that!' Susumu squirmed. Sweat dripped from his forehead and Su had seen enough.

'Good, I will go to Zaofu and send reinforcements to the search party. Have a nice day.' She said in tired voice and stood up and left. Lin wasn't done with berating the president, but decided it best to follow her sister. Susumu nodded and smiled like a scared meadow vole.

With quick steps Su walked outside. She had an upcoming headache and wanted some rest before going all the way back to Zaofu.

'Su, wait!' Lin said behind her. She stood still and waited for Lin to catch up.

'So you're going back?'

'Yes, I've been here long enough. My power lays in Zaofu, that's where I am the most useful to everyone.'

'I will leave to Republic City tomorrow. Raiko needs his Chief of Police back. I just don't feel good leaving things like this.' Lin entrusted to her sister. Su nodded.

'There's not much left to do. The trail you found is probably erased now. We only have a couple of captured guards, but they rather die than tell anything. I do have those headsets we found.' Some guards were wearing small speakers in their ears, attached to some sort of miniature microphone that curved to their mouths. Su dubbed it an headset for convenience.

'We have to find someone to look into those. I would ask Asami, but she doesn't look like she is going to do anything real soon.' Lin sighed.

'Don't worry, I already found someone. I contacted Varrick and he is more than happy to analyse the headsets.'

'Varrick? Isn't he still on his honeymoon?'

'Yes, apparently they are in some sort of volcano near Boiling Rock in the Fire Nation.'

'That doesn't surprise me.' Lin mumbled.

'He wrote some letters to Bataar, since they worked together in the past. So my people knew how to contact him.' Su said with a little smug grin.

'Good, keep me updated. Even though I return to my duties in Republic City, I still want to keep an eye on this search.'

'Yes captain.' Su said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. But Lin didn't take notice of it, instead she continued her way to the palace.

* * *

Asami had washed her face and changed her clothes, but she still looked pale, tired and defeated. The confidence in her stride and gracious air around her were lost. It made Tonraq question if letting her walk with Naga was actually a good idea. But the non-bender petted Naga on her head and received a friendly growl.

'So, just a while outside the city?' She asked Tonraq, trying to hide the empty feeling inside her, but not putting too much afford in it.

'Yes, that will be fine. Thank you.' He answered.

'Asami! You're here!' Tonraq looked around and saw Bolin, Mako and Opal running up to her.

'Hello…' She said softly, averting her eyes.

'We thought you were still asleep or something. Everything okay?' Mako asked, trying to make eye-contact.

'Yeah, I'm going to take Naga for a walk…' She answered, strengthen her grip on Naga's saddle. She couldn't face her friends right now. She was afraid that something might stir in her and then everything would be lost.

'We need Naga! Lin found a trail, we need to know…' Opal interrupted Bolin's explanation by nudging his arm. She saw the lost expression on Asami's face.

'We can always track that stuff later.' She said calmly.

'But…' Bolin tried to protest, but received a harder nudge.

'Do you want me to go with you?' Mako asked concerned, also noticing the bad state of his friend. She probably needed this walk with Naga more than they needed Naga to trace a trail that would be erased by now.

'No, I can handle Naga or she me…' Asami tried to smile, but failed. With a silent nod she walked off with the polar bear dog behind her.

'So now what? We are just supposed to wait?' Bolin said, throwing his hands in the air.

'No, you will show me the trail Lin found. I'm good at tracking in the snow, this shouldn't be any different, only with less snow…and more sand.' Tonraq said. 'Naga and Asami will return in no time and can help us then. They just need a little alone time.' He concluded, hoping with his whole heart that the walk would help.

* * *

Asami found just enough strength to cling onto the white fur while Naga dashed through the sand dunes. She didn't complain though, at least she didn't have to walk. There was a cool breeze for refreshment. Her surroundings provided pleasantness but nothing could fill the gaping hole in her heart. A black vortex that kept sucking up all her thoughts and perceptions.

After a while of sitting on the running polar bear dog, she decided it was time to get back to the city. She looked up over Naga's head and saw how they were approaching the forest where she had hid with Mako, Bolin and Wu. She didn't feel like returning to that place. The place where she wasted time.

'Come Naga. We need to go back.' She said softly, but Naga kept going for the edge of the forest.

'Ugh, Naga come on. There's nothing there.' She said a little frustrated. She wasn't feeling like fighting and just wanted to sit in her room. But Naga stuck her head in some bushes and kept on walking along the edge, away from the capital. Asami had enough of this and tucked at the reigns to get her point across. Naga growled a little and continued her stubborn journey.

'Fine, I will go alone!' Asami said in frustration, the first emotion she showed since she had been in that little cell. She theatrically jumped from Naga's back and started to stride in the opposite direction from the animal, half-expecting the polar bear dog to follow her. She was disappointed however. With a sigh she turned to face Naga again, who was staring at her from a distance.

'Please Naga. I'm so tired…' she pleaded, feeling tears welling up. Naga walked up to her and passed her. Nudging her back with her snout, pushing her further into the forest.

'Fine! If this is what you want let's go into the forest! We could get lost, but who cares!' Asami yelled angry, busting through the bushes with angry footsteps. _Why does nothing ever cooperate!?_ She thought angrily, anger that bubbled up out of nowhere and aimed at almost everything around her. With a couple more footsteps she heard Naga bark behind her. She turned abruptly.

'So now you want to go there? Fine by me.' She said, still not recovering from her anger. She walked up to Naga, who was pushing her snout in the dirt. Asami raised an eyebrow and looked at the ground. A small imprint from, what looked like a tire, was pushed into the mud. Asami knelt before Naga and traced the relief with her fingers. The bushes in its track where broken, something had definitely drove through it. With her eyes directed to the ground she followed its path. Naga hopped in front of her and on an open space she barked and rolled in the grass. Asami walked up to her and saw that the grass was flattened out, but not only by Naga. She knelt in the grass. More imprints, of something heavy hitting the ground. She moved her hand over the grass. Naga came walking towards her, something was hanging from her mouth. With disbelieve and her heart taking up pace she pulled the item from Naga's mouth. She recognized it immediately as Korra's armband. There were splatters of blood on it which made her eyes tear over again.

'Can you smell her!?' She asked, looking hopefully at Naga. Naga barked with anticipation. Asami climbed on her back again, the armband firmly held in her fist.

'Let's go get her!' She said, forgetting the black hole in her heart, while Naga sprinted off into the forest.

* * *

Blurred colours organized themselves into a consistent picture. A sick feeling forced her to open her eyes. With a trembling hand she covered her mouth and heaved violently, but nothing came. Her head ached and the light poked into her brain with sharp daggers. Carefully lying down again, Korra tried to take stock of the damage to her body and memory. She recalled a small cell that changed colours and size, but that was probably in her head. There was a forest at some point. First she thought it was an hallucination, but the grass felt real. Something was stuffed into her mouth, something that tasted like crackers. She drank water and there was a pain in her wrist. Out of reflex she grabbed her right wrist and felt a bandage.

'Sorry for that. I was in an hurry when I cut your chains. I must have hit a vein.' A dry voice floated through the air. Out of reflex Korra shot up, only to hunch forward when her stomach started to contract again. This time the heaving brought up a burning substance that landed on the floor. The burning sensation in her throat left tears in her eyes that blurred her vision again.

After a couple of sharp breaths Korra returned to a sitting position. She looked down her body and saw she was wearing strange clothes. A sort of greyish uniform. After that she saw a man, who was sitting across from her in a chair. He was crushing leaves in a mortar with one hand and his other hand was contorted in a strange position. There was a spasm in his arm and his face showed agony, even when his voice sounded calm. Korra directly recognized him, but let her eyes wonder to her surroundings. Dried flowers in frames, a tidy but simple living room, a small kitchen. _Asami's cabin! _

'Where is she!? What have you done to her!?' Korra still felt sick and her hands shook, but this man tried to kill Asami twice and him being here didn't mean anything good.

'Take it easy. She's probably in Ba Sing Se looking for you. All though nobody has seen her for a while, so she might be anywhere. I'm usually good at finding people, but she slipped through my fingers, what is quite impressive.' The man stopped stomping the leaves and poured hot water in the mortar.

'You will pay for what you have done.' Korra almost growled at the man, trying to bend fire in his direction. Instead of flames a sharp pain shot up her arm and she couldn't help but whimper and hold her wrist. 'Ugh! What have you done to me!?' She practically yelled.

'The yume-berry is still blocking your energy streams. Don't force it, it will do more damage than good. It will pass eventually, like the flu.' Korra glared at him.

'I will still get you.'

'And how do you want to do that? Stare me to death? Look at us! We are both not physically fit to hurt one another. So let's call a truce for now, shall we?' Korra exhaled angrily, but the pain in her arm started to subside, what meant that he wasn't lying to her.

'What is wrong with you?' She asked, nodding towards his contorted hand and arm.

'Cramp. Nothing that the right herbs can't fix.' With that he sipped at his concoction and let out a sigh of relieve. Sure enough, two minutes later his hand started to relax. Korra wasn't happy about this. She felt sick, a sickness that competed with the mercury poison she once had in her bloodstream. She felt weak and cold, but also feverish. She was nauseous and her muscles hurt. This man was dangerous and if he was healing himself, Korra had no idea what he would do to her when he was all better.

She groaned when she repositioned herself on the couch. The man put the mortar down and looked Korra in the eye. She remembered those eyes from the night at Asami's estate. How he pulled Asami's shoulder out of its socket and caused her to faint. Anger rose from her heart. She could hear Tenzin tell her that she shouldn't act on strong emotions, but it was hard not to want to rip the man's head off.

'I'm Shin. I can see that you still don't like me.'

'What do you want from me?' She asked with angry puffs. Shin shrugged his shoulders.

'I don't know.' He said honestly.

'Then what are we doing here?' Korra was losing her patience, but there wasn't much she could do.

'It's a convenient hiding place. I found it when I was following miss Sato. It's close by the city, but hidden far enough to avoid intruders. The fence was easy to break, unlike the security system of her house.' He spoke calmly. 'Now, enough chit-chat. Let's find something addible.' He decided. He pushed himself from the chair and walked to the small kitchen.

It was weird being inside the cabin. He saw it from the outside when Asami had made some trips to the cabin when he was still investigating on her. He needed to know her every step before he could successfully take care of her. The plan on the racetrack was made in that period. It was unnecessary for him to keep following her, but something about her was fascinating. It wasn't sexual attraction or anything like that. More a familiar feeling. Like they belonged to the same kind. He felt it too when he broke into her security system. That feeling of familiarity made her dangerous and drove him to his second attempt at murdering her.

Korra watched him as he was opening cupboards and going through drawers. She tried sitting up straight, but gravity pulled mercilessly at her. The last days felt like a dream and this was the first time she could say that her feet were back on the ground. It wasn't a pleasant feeling though and she was totally disorientated. She didn't know where her friends were and what had happened exactly to her or her surroundings. Everything was mixed up, just loose elements that were mashed together in an incoherent narrative.

Shin returned with to open cans. He had put a spoon in each of them.

'I'm not a good cook and this was the only thing that seemed nutritious.' He said, handing over Korra a cold can of green beans. She stirred slowly through the soft beans and felt her stomach growl. With an emotionless face she took a careful bite. Meanwhile Shin was spooning his can empty in no time.

'When I recover, aren't you worried that I will hurt you?' Korra asked. She took another bite and started to like the beans.

'I'm sure you will hurt me. You have all the reason to and you just said that you will get me.' He replied dryly.

'Then why help me?' Korra had forgiven Kuvira in the end. Her own suffering had made it possible to see the suffering in others, which made her more sympathetic. She was trying to understand Shin so she wouldn't want to kill him and go against everything she believed in. But Kuvira never assaulted her personally, while all she could she in Shin's face was Asami's battered and bruised body after the car crash that he caused.

'It wasn't right.' He simply said and swallowed the last bean in his can.

'What do you mean?'

'You were pretty far gone if you can recall. I used to eat yume-berries when I was a teen. To supress the pain in my muscles and beat the loneliness. It brought me further from myself and Yamamoto forced me to stop. You however kept clinging onto your old life. Talking about your family, friends, lover… Things I never had. Things I'm not supposed to fight for. But apparently they are stronger than the yume-berry or the feeling of belonging nowhere.' He sighed to conclude his vague explanation. The truth was that he didn't know why he helped her. There was nothing for him out in the world. Yamamoto's revolution was the only thing that held a future for him, yet he turned away from that. Something had awoken in him since he started to mess with the Avatar and her girlfriend.

Korra saw the absent look in Shin's eyes. _Yamamoto, that rings a bell._ She had a feeling she met a Yamamoto in one of her dreams or was it in her nightmares? The man in front of her sounded lost and sad, but it was still hard to forgive him. Besides, she still didn't know what he wanted from her.

'Better get some sleep. The sooner you're up and running, the sooner you can get your revenge.' Shin said, standing up. Was he really going to wait for her to beat him up and put him away in a jail? Korra was confused, but before she could ask another question, he disappeared into the bedroom, which made Korra feel another wave of anger. That guy didn't deserve to sleep in Asami's bed!

* * *

They stopped to drink from a clear lake. Asami splashed some water on Naga's back to cool her off. The polar bear dog panted gratefully. Asami didn't know how far they still had to go, but by her calculations they were close to Republic City. The forest started to look familiar. Maybe Korra was alright and getting help from Tenzin. Whatever it was, Asami was going to find her this time. She was just a little worried about Naga. She had ran without stopping and it was getting dark by now. Asami placed her hands on both sides of Naga's head and looked her in the eye. The eyes of the polar bear dog looked healthy and clear.

'Do you want to rest and continue tomorrow or are we almost there?' She asked in a serious voice. Sometimes she had the feeling that Naga could understand what she was saying, so asking her wasn't as crazy as it seemed. Right? Naga wagged her tail and barked loudly in her face.

'That's a yes? Alright.' With trembling limbs, Asami climbed back on the saddle. She knew she was on a dangerous edge of exhaustion, but she had to go on. She gave up on Korra in Ba Sing Se and felt terrible about it. Now was the time to push through, once and for all. With swift steps Naga continued her way, not effected by the looming darkness.

* * *

Shin couldn't sleep. He tried the bed, which was comfortable, but he had the nasty feeling of being watched. Yamamoto would know by now what he had done. Knocking out one of his guards to sneak the Avatar out of her cell. Whenever he closed his eyes he saw the red angry face of his master. So he got up and silently paced around the living room.

Korra was sound asleep, breathing softly on the couch. When she asked what Shin wanted from her, he hadn't had a clue what to answer. His plan was freeing her and take her somewhere safe. He succeeded and now there was no plan. Should he go back to Yamamoto and apologize? Should he stop the revolution? Both options seemed like a waste of time. Yamamoto would never forgive him and Shin himself was still attached to some ideals of the revolution.

With a sigh he peered through the curtains. It was dark and forest sounds surrounded the cabin. He knew that Yamamoto had a vast social network. He could find him in no time if he wanted and that made Shin paranoid. He had nowhere to go, no one who would protect him. He thought about one of the last things Yamamoto told him. That he should know why he had to take care of Asami Sato. He nodded at the time, but to be honest he had not the inkling of an idea of why Asami would be important to him. Yes, the familiarity he felt when he first talked to her or saw her Satomobile. But she was a public figure, so maybe he recognized her from the magazines and papers. However, there was this ominous feeling that Yamamoto was right, that he knew something he supressed years ago and couldn't get back.

The sound of twigs breaking pulled his attention back to the window. _So soon?_ He wondered if Yamamoto had already sent an assassin to do his dirty work. There was nothing to see however, just the peaceful night. Another creak. That was definitely a footstep. With hurried hands and a racing heart he drew open a drawer in the kitchen. Without making too much noise he pulled out a knife and walked slowly to the door. If the intruders had electrified gloves, his chances were slim. His muscles weren't well developed and he would definitely lose if it came down to hand-to-hand combat. _Hopefully the darkness will work in my advantage. Or the Avatar might wake up and protect me._ That last thought was kind of silly. Even if Korra decided to protect him, which wasn't likely, she still wasn't able to bend and she was sick to the bone.

Shin held his breath while he put his hand on the doorknob. He will find out soon enough who was waiting on the other side of the door. With a fast pull he opened the door, pushing the knife forward expecting an attack. But nothing came, only darkness stared back at him. Confused he lowered the knife. _I swear I heard som…_ Before he could finish that thought a white beast jumped out of nowhere crushing him to the ground. An aggressive growl hit his face, while a big paw kept his hand on the ground, making the knife useless. Drool slipped from the monster's mouth onto his face.

The next moment he heard footsteps besides his head. A figure entered the cabin, walking directly to the couch.

'Korra! Can you hear me? Are you alright.' Shin recognized the voice. She found them.

'She's fine. Just tired and sick.' Shin answered when the Avatar failed to do so.

'Shut up! What have you done to her?' Asami demanded while she gently pulled Korra in a sitting position. Korra's body was warm and her breathing regular, but she wasn't waking up.

'Nothing, I've done nothing. She's recovering from an overdose of Yume-berries.' Shin said, while Naga let out a violent growl again. He looked at the beast in utter anguish. Asami put her hand on the side of Korra's face and softly trailed her thumb over her lower lip. She flinched, but didn't open her eyes. _She needs a healer, with some luck Kya is still on Air Temple Island._ Asami decided. With all her power she pulled Korra into her arms and carried her to the door. With an angry glare she kicked the knife out of Shin's hand. Korra's health was her priority right now and she had to let the man go, although she didn't feel happy about it. Tying him up would take too much time and she didn't have any ropes. Careful she pulled Korra onto Naga and sat behind her.

'I will come back for you. It's one thing to mess with me, but you'll never touch Korra again.' She said with an ice-cold voice.

'It's probably too late to apologize now, isn't it?' Shin said, but Asami ignored him. She tucked at the reigns and Naga shifted her weight from Shin, leaving his arms sore and useless. With one last angry growl the beast, Asami and Korra disappeared into the darkness. Shin let out a terrified breath and felt his arm cramp up again. _So much for freeing the Avatar…_ He thought bitterly, knowing that he must get out of here before someone else would catch him.


	12. What If I Leave

**Pweh, somehow it costed me a lot of effort to write this chapter. It's a bit of an emotional rollercoaster and a bit long. I hope you can appreciate it!**

* * *

**What If I Leave**

* * *

Naga twisted her body to get rid of the water in her fur. Asami jumped off her, carrying Korra in her arms, running towards the building in front of her.

'Someone, get me an healer!' She yelled to one of the White Lotus guards who stood against the pillars of the veranda. They stared at her and saw the unconscious Avatar in her arms. One of them ran inside. Asami was exhausted and felt her arms burn under Korra's weight, but she didn't let go before Tenzin or Kya would be here. It took only minutes before Tenzin and Pema came running out. They saw Asami standing lost in front of the house with Korra clung to her body. Naga was lying beside them, tired from running all day and swimming to the island.

'Asami, you found her!' Tenzin said running towards her.

'Please, you have to help her. She isn't waking up.' Asami pleaded.

'Kya is inside, let me take her to her.' Tenzin said, taking over Korra and running back inside. Asami wanted to follow, but her legs wouldn't budge. She was panting and Pema took her in with a look of concern.

'Let's go inside.' She said softly, taking Asami's arm to give her some support.

'What about Naga? She needs water and food…'

'The guards will take care of her. You look like you can use a nice cup of tea.' Pema answered, leading Asami inside.

* * *

The rest of the night Asami lingered around the healing room. Pema had brought her a plate with tea and a bowl of fried vegetables. She had drank and eaten everything, feeling a little better. After a while Jinora, Kai and Ikki joined her, waiting for news on Korra.

'So how did you save Korra from the claws of the evil man? How did Naga know where she needed to go? Did you see any weird animals when you were in the Fire Nation? Are Mako and Bolin coming ba…'

'Ikki, please, can't you see that Asami is tired?' Jinora stopped the rant of her little sister who returned her statement with a pout.

'It's okay, let me see. Naga was the one who saved Korra, pinning the evil man to the ground with her paws. Naga knew where to go, because she caught Korra's scent in the forest. I didn't see a lot of the Fire Nation, so no weird animals. And I guess your dad will contact Ba Sing Se and the others will return eventually.' Asami's head was pounding worse than an hour ago, but she didn't mind. Her body felt light as if she could float up from the floor every moment now, but she had to stay. She had to know how Korra was doing.

'Are you going back to catch that guy in your cabin? Else we can take a look.' Kai offered, but Asami just slowly shook her head.

'He's dangerous. I will call the police as soon as I know more about Korra's state.' As if on cue Kya opened the door of the healing pool and saw four worried faces looking up.

'I see I have gathered a little crowd.' She said.

'How is she?' Asami asked, but lacking the strength to stand up, staying seated against the wall.

'She's fine. Sound asleep. I healed her wrist and hydrated her body. There wasn't a lot of the Yume-berry left in her blood stream, so she should feel better in the morning. How are you?' Kya asked, seeing the bewildered look on Asami's face. Korra was the one who was lying in the healer's pool, but somehow Asami looked worse than the Avatar.

'I'm fine now, knowing that she's safe and going to be alright.' Asami spoke slowly. Kya sighed and took place next to Asami.

'Why don't you kids go get some treats from your mom so Asami and I can talk.' The waterbender said.

'But we want to see Korra!' Ikki protested, she waited all night for news on Korra.

'Come on Ikki, you must sleep anyway.' Jinora said, dragging her away.

'But we waited so long!' Ikki complained long after she was dragged off. Silence returned to the hall and Kya let out a sigh.

'It's hard work being with the Avatar. I remember how my mother used to be worried when my dad was out, saving the world and all. She didn't sleep or eat properly. It's something you don't get used to.'

'It felt like I lost everything when we couldn't find her…' It was the first time Asami tried to vocalize the entangled mess of emotions inside her. Kya always seemed to know what to say and had a tranquil air around her which made Asami try to explain the chaos in her head. Kya put an arm around the young woman, feeling her shiver.

'I know, but she's fine now.'

'But for how long?'

'That we cannot know. We have to take it as it comes. Do you want me to take a look at you? Make sure you're okay.'

'No thanks, I just need some sleep and maybe a shower.' Asami managed a smile, pushing herself from the ground.

'Sounds like a good plan.' Kya said, helping Asami standing up. As soon as she lifted her head her vision started to shrink, black edges swallowed her view of the hall. Kya felt the engineer sink in and with all her strength she tried to hold her up, slowly laying her back on the floor.

'Someone, help me to get her in the pool!' Kya yelled in the hope that one of her healers would hear her. _Spirits! I knew this was going to happen._

* * *

Korra slowly opened her eyes and simultaneously stretched herself out. She was in a soft and warm bed. She felt refreshed and strangely rested, as if everything that happened the past few days was just a very long nightmare.

Slowly she sat up in the bed and saw that she was on Air Temple Island. Memories of Asami's cabin came flowing back to her and she wondered if Shin had taken her to the island. _No, why would he? I am here, though…_ She thought, carefully swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. She was afraid that her stomach would be upset again, but it wasn't. She was just terribly hungry. Before she could test her strength and walk to the door, someone opened it. Kya came walking in with a glass of water and a steaming bowl of what smelled like porridge.

'Ah! I see I'm right on time. How are you feeling?' Kya said, placing the food on the nightstand and forcing Korra back in bed.

'I feel good, really good.' Korra said, smiling. She moved around a bit, making herself comfortable.

'That's great to hear. You must be hungry, eat up!' Kya sat, handing her the porridge. Korra obeyed happily and started at her breakfast as if she hadn't eaten in years. Kya dragged a chair next to the bed and sat down, looking content at her healing patient.

'So, how did I get here?' Korra asked, tracing the gap in her memory.

'Asami brought you in last night.' Korra almost let her spoon fall on the clean sheets.

'Asami? She's here and saved me?' She asked surprised.

'Yes, she and Naga brought you here around midnight, you were fast asleep.' Kya explained.

'I have to see her!'

'Wait right there. First the porridge than the girlfriend. Do you hear me?' Kya said in a stern voice. Korra pouted and spooned up the remaining food as fast as she could. Making her stomach hurt a little. She downed her glass of water and showed Kya the empty bowl.

'Good?' Korra asked, staring at her.

'Yes very good. Before you freak out, Asami is okay. But she fainted last night and now needs a lot of…' Before she could finish her sentence Korra leaped out of bed. Asami had fainted and needed her, that's all she heard.

'Wait, you shouldn't disturb her! Ugh, why I am trying?' Kya said, seeing how Korra was already out of the room.

* * *

Korra took place on the chair next to the bed. She gently stroke back some black hairs lying on the pale face of her girlfriend. _This is all my fault. _She thought bitterly.

'She's going to be okay, right?' she asked, looking over her shoulder to the older healer, who came inside the room just a couple of seconds later.

'She collapsed due to sheer exhaustion. She had a sprain ankle and a slight concussion, I took care of that. But you should keep your girlfriend better fed, Avatar.' Kya tried to lighten the mood, but received only a blank stare. 'She's going to be fine, all she needs is rest, a good dinner and a nice glass of water.' She ensured Korra. _Your selfish love drove her this far. _A voice spoke in her head.

'Well, I leave you two to it. I will tell Tenzin you're feeling better.' Kya silently left the room. Korra continued stroking Asami's hair, hearing her mumble in her sleep. With every stroke she felt guilt setting his teeth in her heart. Somehow she thought this was wrong. That Asami didn't belong to her, but to the world. That she had no right to claim her as her own. _I already caused her so much pain._

* * *

Asami felt consciousness rush back. For the first time in days she could honestly say that she felt comfortable. The throb between her eyes was gone and something warm was holding her hand. She forced her eyes open, before sleep could grab an hold of her once more. When she looked down her body, she saw that she was again dressed in air acolyte clothes. A tanned hand was holding her own. Her eyes followed the arm attached to the hand and her heart fluttered when they settled on the face of the owner. Blue eyes, she thought she never see again, stared down at her. She couldn't help but break out in a smile and tears of relieve and happiness filled her eyes.

'K-korra, you're here…' Her voice sounded broken.

'I sure am.' Conflicting feelings stormed through Korra's head, but a loving smile claimed victory. Asami took a deep breath and laid her free hand on Korra's, enjoying the familiar warmth.

'We really should stop with almost dying, it's not good for my health.' Asami joked, excusing her dire state. Korra answered by leaning over her, slowly pressing her lips to Asami's, who welcomed her with a soft moan and an hand in her hair. Korra had dreamed of these lips when she sat on the cold floor of her little cell. It made her feel warmer and there was nothing in the world she wanted more than the safe feeling of her lover's arms around her. But with every second guilt piled up. Asami had almost travelled the whole world to find her. Breaking her own body in the process. _You can't ask this of her! _

Asami gasped when Korra pulled away. She expected a loving gaze, but when she looked up she saw a pained expression.

'What's wrong?' Asami asked with concern. Korra shook her head, standing up.

'I… I can't. I can't do this anymore.' Korra's voice trembled and the words resonated in Asami's ears. Before she could ask anything, Korra turned to the door.

'Wait, where are you… Korra, wait!' But Korra already closed the door, leaving Asami in a state of worry and confusion.

* * *

Asami had spent two days in bed, mostly asleep. Kya and Pema payed her regular visits with plates of steaming food and tea to strengthen her body. She thanked them and kept friendly conversation, but there was only one thing on her mind. She didn't dare to ask about Korra to often and when she did Kya or Pema would answer that she was recovering as well. She even started to bend again and was outside taking walks and playing with Naga and the kids. The fact that the young Avatar didn't visit her girlfriend in those days remained an unspoken fact. Asami didn't want to bring it up and Pema and Kya didn't dare to ask.

Now it was morning again and Asami made her bed. It was time to go home. She looked at herself in the mirror. Her face looked better, but she was still too thin and tired for her taste. _I really let myself go._ She thought, while tracing her jawline with her index finger. A soft knock on the door interrupted her inspections.

'Good morning.' Pema said in a cheerful voice. She stepped inside and put a pile of folded clothes on the bed. 'You're up early.' She noticed.

'I'm going home. I called Tadao yesterday and asked him if he could pick me up.' Asami answered, trying to sound casual.

'You know you can stay here as long as you want.' Pema said with some concern. Asami still looked fragile and for some reason Korra and her didn't talk anymore. Pema was worried that something happened between the two and she got sad at the thought that Asami would wither away alone in her mansion.

'I know and I thank you again for everything you've done for me. But I must return to my company.'

'Okay, I washed the clothes you were wearing when you came here.' Pema said, walking back to the door.

'Thank you.'

'Don't forget to say goodbye before you leave.'

'I won't.' With that Pema closed the door. Asami walked to the small pile on her bed. It were the Fire Nation clothes from her aunt. Her compass, some coins and the picture she received laid on top. She put the small items and the clothes in a bag. Tadao would pick her up at seven and it was ten past half now. _Time to make the rounds._ Asami thought, dreading the necessary chit-chat. She just wanted to go home and lock herself up in her office, progressing everything that happened to her in the silence of her childhood home. With a sigh she threw the bag around her shoulder and left the room.

* * *

She hugged Tenzin, Pema and Kya goodbye. The airbender kids were feeding the air bison and Asami didn't want to interrupt their morning rituals.

'Go see a doctor in the city to help you recover. I don't want to see you in my healing pool for a while, okay?' Kya said.

'I will, thank you for saving me, for the second time.' Asami said, letting go of the Southern.

'We will keep your room, in case you want to return.' Tenzin offered and Asami nodded gratefully.

'Don't be a stranger.' Pema made her last goodbye as Asami started her walk to the small pier of the island. In the distance she saw a figure, sitting on the edge of the coast looking out over the water. Her heart started to pump more loudly, but she supressed her excitement. The last thing she wanted to do was to startle Korra once more. Without saying a word, Asami said down next to her.

'Hi there.' She said, her voice sounded unsure and images of their last encounter came back to her.

'How are you?' Korra asked, looking at her with a faint smile. She heard Asami approach, something about the way she walked gave away her presence without Korra having to look up to see who it was. She wanted to visit Asami the last few days, but every time she reached the door to her room, Korra felt a sick feeling in her stomach. As if she was committing the biggest crime by seeing how Asami was doing.

'I feel much better, you?' Asami couldn't stand this small talk. As if they were two strangers waiting for the ferry, making petty conversation out of social convention. She just wanted to throw her arms around her and kiss her as if there was no tomorrow. Confessing over and over again that she loved her while stroking that lovely hair. But she didn't, hearing Korra say that she can't do this anymore in her head.

'I can bend again. Today my dad and the others return from Ba Sing Se. My mom will visit as well. So that's nice.' There was a dull tone in Korra's voice, which worried Asami.

'That sounds nice. There's my ride.' Korra squinted her eyes and saw a speedboat bobbing over the waves. Asami was leaving. Something inside her wanted to hold on to her, tell her she must stay with her. That there was always a tomorrow she could go back to work, but now she had to rest with her. But that were just selfish wishes, so Korra kept staring at the little boat.

'Korra…' Asami began a sentence, laying her hand on Korra's knee. She felt the bender flinch so she retreated her hand, feeling a little crack in her heart. 'I'll be at my mansion. You know you can always call or come around if you want to talk or something. You can come to me for anything, you know that right.' Korra looked down at her feet.

'You should eat and drink better. Also get more sleep. Promise?' Korra just wanted Asami to be fine and healthy. Not the way she was now, driven to the edge of death because of Korra's selfish need to keep her close.

'I promise. I-I love you, don't forget.' Asami stood up and hoped Korra would smile at her, even if it was just a little smile. But the Avatar didn't and with a heavy heart she walked to pier to welcome Tadao.

Korra watched how Asami embarked the speedboat and waved at her. She raised her arm in a weak attempt to wave back at her. When the boat disappeared on the horizon, small tears ran down her face. She had the feeling that she was making a terrible mistake. _No you're not. You belong to the world and not to a person. Now you and Asami can both fulfil your purposes._ A low voice spoke without making a sound. She had to discard the thing she loved the most to create a better world. With her free hand she wiped away the tears and comforted herself with the thought that Asami would be better off now. Doing what she meant to do and be great again.

* * *

Days passed slowly in the Sato mansion. Asami had experienced this as well in the three years before Kuvira's attack and Korra's return. Two weeks had passed and she felt stronger each day. True to her word she ate and drank better and picked up her daily physical exercises. She even tried to improve her sleeping pattern. Seven hours a night was the standard. It was easy to get that kind of sleep the first days, but after that it took longer before sleep would come over her. Her body was used to four, max five hours a night. Even though sleep didn't come easy, Asami would attempt falling asleep earlier than normal every night.

She also picked up her work again. Making the rounds around her factories and inspecting building grounds. Future Industries was blooming. She even made some deals in the Earth Republic and the sales of her new Satomobiles went up. She sent a team to the Earth Republic to oversee the business there. Now her company was flourishing and making more profit than ever before. She took this opportunity to put more trust in her employees and cut back on her own hours. It had only been two weeks, but the changes were pushed through easily and without complaints, which gave Asami time to work on a special project.

With every day that passed the absence of Korra loomed clearer in the distance. She would wake up in the night, the words 'I can't' ringing in her ears as she tried to stabilize her breathing. At first she thought Korra needed space. She was abducted and drugged, something one can't easily come back from. Of course she wished that Korra requested her help, but when she saw her own body in the mirror, the day that she returned to her mansion, she understood why Korra didn't. She was practically skin over bones and a shadow of the strong person she aspired to be. So she told herself that Korra was worried about her and wanted to keep her distance so they both could recover own their own. Which was a stupid explanation. At times of hardship Asami wanted nothing else but to lay in Korra's arms or be there when Korra was having nightmares and needed a comforting embrace. But holding on to the thought that Korra was just waiting till they both were recovered was the only way to stop her heart from breaking.

With more days passing, it became harder to hold onto this explanation. It dawned on Asami that Korra telling her she can't might have been the breakup she was so desperately trying to deny. She had felt heartbreak before with Mako, but this was different. With Mako she saw the breakup coming from miles away and when the moment was there she had already shed her tears and mentally moved on. This time it took her two weeks to realize that Korra might not be her girlfriend anymore and every day her heartbreak became more apparent. Leaving her restless and blue most of the day.

With a sigh she drove the last screw in the glove. She had lost her last electrified glove and she made a new one for her project. It was basically the same, except for a little knob that could be turned to increase the voltage. She knew that if she turned it full to the right, it would be fatal. She laid the screwdriver on the desk and stared at her creation. Did she really wanted to do this? Murder is something that would change a person beyond the point of return, but that was exactly the reason why she had to do it. She would track him down and put an end to him without anyone knowing. He would never hurt her again and more important, he would never hurt Korra again.

A somewhat manic smile appeared at the face of the engineer. A smile created from grieve, angst, loneliness and irony. She thought taking someone's life was the gravest thing one could do. Her convictions were confirmed when her father tried to take hers when she didn't comply to his will. She had worked for years to erase his mistakes and make herself better than he was. Whatever happened, she would never become her father. And now she felt that rush of insanity in her bloodstream, the same insanity she saw in her father's eyes that faithful day. She was his daughter after all, so maybe it was just her destiny. Whatever it was, she was going to make an end to Yamamoto and his little servant for once and for all. And she was going to do it alone, so her friends and love ones wouldn't have to carry the guilt of taking a life. So Korra could life with a light conscience and in peace.

* * *

The sun was shining abundantly and Korra could hear happy barks from outside. Naga had been exhausted since she brought Asami and Korra back to Air Temple Island. But now she was up and running again and the sounds of her polar dog bear filled her heart with joy. She could only hope that Asami was faring as well as Naga did.

'They still haven't found him.' Lin spoke gravely, just barely keeping her anger under control. She and Mako were visiting, giving Korra and Tenzin an update on the happenings in Ba Sing Se.

'And the president?' Tenzin asked.

'He has most of the city under control and despatched various search parties to find Yamamoto. They're also questioning Mountain Top employees.' Mako answered. He volunteered to help with the investigations around Mountain Top Industries. He thought he owned that to his friends and himself.

'Yeah, he's really coming through.' Lin's words dripped with sarcasm. She still didn't like the idea of a nation run by a president who unrightfully claimed his power. He was a ticking time bomb and they were just waiting for it to set off. But Raiko decided that they weren't going to unmask him, since that would create more chaos upon the already unstable situation. So Lin could do nothing but to swallow her anger and disagreement.

'As long as he does his job right we don't have to worry about him. We need to stop Yamamoto and Shin however, before more people get hurt.' Korra said, turning her attention from the window to the small group of people in front of her. She had told them everything she could remember from her abduction, including the rescue by Shin.

'Those two are like ghosts.' Mako complained. He was looking for Shin after he heard that he was the one who tried to kill Asami and had taken Korra away. He found Shin's name in a catalogue of one of Yamamoto's orphanages. He must have been there since he was a toddler, but there were no details on his life before the orphanage.

'There must be something that can get us in the right direction.' Korra said. She was tired of talking and wanted to do something. But they didn't even know where to begin their search.

'Maybe Asami knows.' Mako said, after some thought. Korra's muscles tensed up at the mention of that name.

'Why would Asami know?' Lin asked, raising an eyebrow.

'When she came back from the Fire Nation she had this map with places where Korra could be. She got it from her aunt and she said that Yamamoto and her aunt were friends in the past. So maybe she knows where he is.' Mako explained.

'If she knew where he is holding up she would tell us.' Korra said, feeling a familiar sadness in her stomach. It was hard to keep away from Asami and every time she heard her name her heart sank a little. She would dream of pale hands caressing her back. Red lips kissing her eyes good night. A sweet voice telling her that she loved her. Those dreams would always end with Korra waking up alone and hugging her blanket.

'Yes, but maybe she hasn't looked into it. I mean, she is busy with Future Industries, but we can ask her if she could contact her aunt for information.' Mako said. Tenzin stroke his beard in thought.

'Maybe we shouldn't pursue this. The Earth Republic seems to stabilize and the president is cooperating.'

'We can't just let them go! They caused so much pain and I'm not going to wait till they turn up and murder one of my friends.' Korra said in fury. She had to admit that the ideas she heard about the equal society Yamamoto was trying to create, sounded somehow good to her. But she couldn't get over her anger, thinking that they wanted Asami dead and almost succeeded.

'Korra, we can't take action out of revenge. Sometimes we have to trust others so as not to lose ourselves in personal vendettas.' Tenzin said in his teacher voice.

'I agree with Korra. Criminals should be locked up and I trust president Susumu as much as I would trust Vaatu. Catching Yamamoto and Shin is a priority.' Lin cut in. Tenzin sighed, he wished she wouldn't fuel Korra's anger.

'Fine, but don't overdo it. Act only to defend, not to seek and destroy.' Tenzin gave his blessings and stood up.

'Good, we can visit Asami and call you later when we know more.' Mako decided for himself and Korra. Korra swallowed, she didn't want to see Asami. It was too hard, but she also didn't want to cause worry. She hadn't told anyone why she hadn't visit the non-bender and everyone thought they were still together like before.

'Fine, I'm at the police station.' Lin said, standing up. Tenzin let her out of the room, leaving Korra and Mako alone.

'Ready to go?' He asked.

'Yes, maybe we can ask Bolin to come as well. You now, for old time's sake.' Korra suggested. With Bolin in the room the tension between her and Asami would maybe be less. Bolin was good at lighting the mood and Korra didn't want to confront her feelings for Asami.

'Sure, Bo can come.' Mako said, shrugging his shoulders.

'Okay, let's do it.' Korra said with a smile, ready to take action.

* * *

Future Industries Tower was rebuilt again and Asami felt happy to be back at her old spot, even though she had to listen to Wu who was frantically pitching an idea for a terrible automobile.

'I would say that five headlights are on the low side, but I like the uneven number.' He continued his description of a personalized Satomobile. He was back in Republic City to talk with Raiko about the situation in the Earth Republic. As far as Asami knew, Ba Sing Se was peaceful. The people didn't really care that Yamamoto was still on the run. Their palace was being rebuilt and the Avatar was back, so as far as they were concerned everything was taken care of.

A small knock on the door interrupted Wu's descriptions.

'Yes, come in.' Asami answered, happy for the distraction.

'Hey there Asami, do you have time?' Mako asked, who was first to enter. Behind him Bolin and Korra appeared and Asami's heart was sent to overdrive.

'O-Of course! For you guys always.' She said happy, keeping the tremble out of her voice. She stood up and hugged Mako and Bolin. She had seen them when they arrived in Republic City, but that was almost two weeks ago. When she stood in front of Korra and wanted to initiate another hug, her arms hesitated. Remembering how she flinched the last time Asami was trying to touch her. With a somewhat awkward pat on the shoulder she greeted the Avatar, feeling something wither and die inside.

'Wow! Nice view Asami. I should come visit you here more often.' Bolin said, walking to the window. Asami's office was on the top floor, so she could look over her favourite city and the work she had done.

'You should. Two weeks is way too long.' She smiled at her friends.

'You look great.' Korra blurred out. It was true. Asami looked healthy and well-rested. Her eyes had that spark of energy again, her face showed almost no fatigue and her hair reflected the light. So much different than the last time Korra saw her.

'Thanks, I promised you to take better care of myself, so I did.' Asami said matter-of-factly, waving her friends to the lounging area of her office where Wu was still seated.

'Wu, what are you doing here?' Mako said while he and Korra took place on a comfortable couch while Bolin was still pushing his face up the windows.

'Pitching this great idea to Asami. The Wu-mobile.' Wu answered, using a deep voice for the title of his terrible automobile.

'Hmmm, great. Sounds great. We're here to ask you for a favour, actually.' Korra said, looking back at Asami. Emotions were fighting a fierce battle in her head and it had gotten worse after that strange greeting. She wanted this to be over, since she was clearly making Asami uncomfortable.

'Sure, for you anything.' Asami said, trying a friendly smile.

'We are still trying to find Yamamoto and Shin.'

'Who's Shin?' Asami interrupted Korra's request.

'He's the man who tried to kill you and who took Korra to your cabin.' Mako explained.

'Really, Shin like in Shady Shin?' Wu remarked.

'How do you know Shady Shin?' Mako asked, raising an eyebrow.

'I heard that man got style!' Wu exclaimed. _So_ _my target has a name, Shin. _Asami made a mental note.

'Anyway we were wondering if you know where they could be. You're aunt seemed to know more about Yamamoto. With the map and all.' Mako continued, ignoring Wu.

'My aunt? I haven't spoken to her since I left the Fire Nation. It's not that I don't want to help you, but… I-I, it's complicated.' Asami stammered. She thought a lot about her aunt since she left the Fire Nation and it made her sad. The sad story about her son and the miscommunications through the years. It made her think that her family was doomed to be unhappy. She would do anything for her friends, that was no lie, but calling her aunt to dig up the painful past between her and Yamamoto didn't seem productive or fair.

'I understand if you don't want to do it. It's just that we don't know where to start looking for these guys and the world would be way safer if they were locked up.' Korra said friendly. Her voice made Asami shiver.

'She had people spying on Yamamoto. She told me he was obsessed with political theory, talking about an ideal society. I think that's what he tried to accomplish in Ba Sing Se. But there is no contact between her and Yamamoto anymore. Maybe he caught the people who were working for my aunt. So I'm afraid that this is a dead end too.' Asami didn't want to lie to her friends, but she had no choice. She didn't want them to get in the way. Soon Shin and Yamamoto will belong to the past and they didn't have to worry about it anymore. But she couldn't tell them that. 'I'm so sorry…' She finished with an apology.

'Don't be, we were just trying something.' Korra smiled at her and Asami felt herself melt.

'Are you going away?' Bolin asked out of nowhere. Asami turned around and saw Bolin pointing to her bag lying on the edge of her desk. She had stuffed it with clothes and other necessaries and brought it here to get the documents she had prepared for her project.

'Yes I am.'

'When!?' Korra sounded more concerned than she wanted, but somehow the thought of Asami leaving Republic City made her shrivel up inside. Her friends looked at her in puzzlement after the loud question.

'Uhm, tomorrow morning actually. Sorry for not saying anything.' Asami averted her eyes, not wanting to see the hurt in Korra's eyes.

'Where are you going?' Korra asked.

'Here and there. My doctor said that my body was under a lot of stress and that I should take it easy. Business is going great so I planned a little vacation, just travelling around.'

'You're seeing a doctor?' Korra continued her questions. Bolin and Mako shared a confused look with each other. Wondering why Korra didn't know all this.

'Yes, Kya said that I should.' Asami answered.

'You should be careful, since that Shin guy might still be after you.' Korra warned. _Hopefully he finds me then. That would make everything easier._ Asami thought.

'I'll be alright. I won't go to dangerous or deserted places. I just want some space to think.'

'Korra is right though. Those guys are still out there and can attack at any moment.' Mako wasn't really a fan of this vacation idea either. It was almost like Asami was asking for trouble.

'I appreciate your concerns, but I need this. When I return I will be my old self again and help you with catching whoever we need to catch.' Another lie. When she will return, if she would return at all, she would never be her old self again.

Korra heard a slight desperation in Asami's voice, the same desperation Korra had felt when she was recovering from Zaheer. Wanting nothing more than to disappear to lick her wounds.

'Okay, just watch out.' She mumbled, standing up to leave the office. The pressure on her heart was getting too much. Mako and Bolin followed suit.

'I am really sorry that I haven't contacted you in two weeks. I will make it up to you when I return.' Asami said.

'Yes, Team Avatar shouldn't be pulled apart by a little crisis! When you're back we should go on a picnic or an hike or both.' Bolin agreed.

'That's a promise.' Asami said with a smile.

'Well, good travels then.' Mako wished her luck and Korra just nodded as matter of goodbye.

'Oh Mako! Give my regards to that lady colleague of yours. I think she likes me!' Wu yelled from his chair and Mako rolled his eyes. With that they closed the door and stepped into the elevator to descend to ground level.

'So what's going on between you two?' Mako asked cautiously.

'What do you mean?' Korra asked back.

'You asking all those questions. I thought you saw her every day.' Mako explained.

'Yeah, it sounded like you two haven't talked in ages. Even I knew that Asami was seeing a doctor. And then there were no hugs or kisses, I mean when I see Opal I at least hug her goodbye. If you need relationship advice you can always come to Mako or me! All though Mako really messed up the Asami-bit of relationships…and the Korra-bit as well.' Bolin said.

'Thanks Bolin, for the additional information.' Mako said, slightly annoyed.

'We're… I don't know.' Korra looked down.

'Ah, love is a complicated mess with knots and mine fields. One moment you're like: I'm okay, we're happy and the next moment it's like: BOOM!' Bolin made a grant gesture with his arms.

'Hey, you two will work it out. Maybe she really just needs some time off to get herself together. She was pretty roughed up when she thought you were gone forever.' Mako said, doing a better job at comforting Korra than his brother.

'I hope so.' Korra said weakly, still not knowing what to do with her conflicting feelings. She wanted to be the best Avatar and keep everyone safe, but she still wanted to indulge in her selfish needs when it came to Asami. _Time will help the people to let go, till everything is in its proper place and equality rules the world._ The low voice spoke.

* * *

The next morning Korra was up earlier than normal. She imagined how Asami was packing and leaving the city. She wanted to be with her and recalled their wonderful time in the spirit world. How she packed with her and how they, side by side, took their well-deserved rest. But now all that seemed polluted. She had to let go, but her heart ached at the thought that her relationship with Asami was an obstacle to the world.

'You're early this morning.' Korra hadn't even noticed her father approaching. He and her mother were visiting and staying at Air Temple Island. The day after tomorrow they would leave again. 'Even your mother is still asleep.' Tonraq laughed, but his daughter stayed uncharacteristically silent.

Senna and him were happy to see that Korra was alright and in good health after her disappearance, but they also noticed some sort of induced state in her. Like she was supressing everything she felt. Atop of that, she hadn't talked about Asami at all, while the last time they were here, there seemed to be no other subject.

'Something you want to talk about?' Tonraq asked, putting his hand on Korra's shoulder.

'No.' Her voice was dull.

'Not even about Asami?' He triggered a shocked look with that question. 'Did she break your heart?' He pushed it a little further.

'No! She didn't do anything wrong!' Korra shot in defence. Tonraq raised his hands in the air.

'Sorry, I mean no harm. You just look like someone who is going through heartbreak. Sulking in the morning sun like that. So why won't you tell your old man what's the matter. I can try to pull it out of you the whole day, you know I can. But why not safe us both the energy and just tell me what's on your mind.' Tonraq knew that Korra was a grown up. Way sooner than he expected or liked, but that was just a side-effect of being the Avatar. Still, being the Avatar didn't mean she never needed his fatherly advice.

'I-I…' Korra started, feeling tears well up she didn't know she was holding back. The past days she felt she was trapped between what her heart told her and what the voice in her head demanded from her. It was exhausting and it was taking its toll. She looked at her dad, taking the leap of faith that he would know what she should do.

'I miss her so much, but I can't.' she admitted, feeling a flood of tears slamming against her eyes.

'It's okay.' Tonraq said, rubbing circles between her shoulders.

'I miss talking to her. I miss the way she tosses and turns in bed even though she thinks she sleeps quietly and neatly. I miss the way she glares at me when I say something she doesn't agree with. I miss the way she looks at me when she is about to kiss me. But I don't want to hurt her anymore. I don't want to fail anyone anymore.' Korra broke down in heavy sobs now, feeling her sadness amplified now she spoke them out loud. Tonraq pulled her closer in his embrace.

'Alright Korra, it's going to be okay.' He spoke softly and waited till the sobbing diminished and Korra sat up again on her own. Eyes red and hair dishevelled.

'If I stay with her I would only stall her, but if I'm not with her I feel empty.'

'And why would you stall her?' Tonraq asked.

'She has better things to do than to be with me.' Korra mumbled.

'So you left her because she has better things to do?' Tonraq asked, raising his eyebrow.

'And whenever she is with me, she ends up hurt. She almost killed herself trying to safe me.' Tonraq sighed, feeling terrible that his daughter was saying these things.

'Korra, we can't prevent bad things from happening. It pains me to say, but staying away from Asami won't stop bad things from happening to her. Yes, she pushed herself a little too far trying to get to you, I saw that in Ba Sing Se. But that wasn't your fault. You can't blame yourself for someone loving you.'

'But she shouldn't. Love is selfish.'

'Who told you that?' Tonraq was starting to get angry. Who put such poison in his daughter's head.

'I-I'm not sure.'

'Listen, do you know how I felt on my wedding day?' Korra looked up in surprise.

'No?' Why would her father begin about his wedding day?

'There I was, about to marry the most beautiful, funny, kind woman of the world and I felt scared. I never felt so scared in my entire life. All of a sudden it wasn't just about me. I had to make this person happy and I feared that I might fail. Still I married her and never regretted a moment. And do you know what I felt when she told me she was pregnant with you?' Korra shook her head, although she could guess the answer.

'Even more afraid than on my wedding day. There would be this human being that depended on me. I had to protect you and make sure you would grow up a strong and happy adult. When we found out you were the Avatar your mother and me didn't sleep for days, even though you seemed to enjoy every second of it. All I could think of were bad people trying to hurt you and I couldn't stop them all. I knew that one day someone was going to hurt you. But do you think I ever wished that you weren't born? Do you think I ever stopped being happy and proud of being your father. We have been through a lot of pain, but that doesn't match up to the happiness. I'm not selfish for loving you or your mother. It made me into the man I am now. It made me stronger, because of you two. And I will always love you and be proud about it.' Korra felt a new batch of tears, but swallowed them back.

'But all the time I take from Asami…'

'Korra, time is never wasted on love. It makes us more compassioned towards others. By loving someone we learn the worth of a human life. You said to me that suffering from poison made you more sensitive to the suffering of others. In the same way loving someone makes you more sensitive to the love of others. Denying your own love is shutting love out.' Korra buried her face in her hands. The thoughts that drove her away from Asami were wiped away by her father in one instance. She felt the voice nagging, but she didn't want to listen anymore.

'Dad, I don't know what to do. I think I made a terrible mistake.' She sobbed silently.

'We all make mistakes. In love they are usually salvaged with flowers and an apology.' Tonraq grinned, getting Korra back on the right track. Even Avatars needed their fathers sometimes.

'But it's too early to visit her and she is about to leave for her vacation.'

'Dropping in on unusual and unexpected moments seems to work as well in love. Your mother always enjoyed my spontaneous nightly visits.' Korra nodded, censuring the last statement of her father. She was going to Asami, morning or not, vacation or not. With a new sense of purpose she jumped up.

'How do I look?'

'Hmmm, emotional.' Tonraq said, looking in her red puffy eyes. He stood up and dried some left over tears with his sleeve. 'Ah, she wouldn't mind.' He reassured Korra.

'Thanks dad, for the talk. I should have told you what was going on earlier.'

'Don't sweat it. Now go get her, tiger shark.' Korra grinned at her father's shenanigans. She hugged him briefly and ran off to get her glider. Maybe if she was fast enough she could catch Asami before she left the city.

* * *

Korra flew over the fence that kept unwanted visitors out of the Sato estate. With one smooth motion she landed on the lawn in front of Asami's bedroom window and folding up the wings on her glider. She looked up and saw that the curtains were drawn. _She's still asleep or has already left._ The thought of Asami sleeping peacefully, wrapped up in her blankets made Korra blush. She felt like she had to win over Asami all over again and that came with the initial awkwardness.

For a moment she considered bursting through the windows, but giving the engineer an heart attack would not better the situation. So she tried the front door. Pressing a doorbell wasn't as romantic as climbing through her window, but it was safer. It took five minutes before the door was carefully opened.

'Korra dear! What a surprise.' Grandma Yin said.

'Hello gran. Is Asami there?' She felt like a kid asking if her friend wanted to play outside.

'Oh no, she left a couple of hours ago. Usually I'm the only one awake at that hour. The late Earth Queen always said: 'Rising before the morning sun, gets the day job done'.'

'Right, okay. Sorry for bothering you.' Korra said, feeling sad that she missed Asami. She really needed to talk to her about her new insights.

'But now you're here, why don't you join us for a nice cup of tea and my famous sand cookies. I have another guest looking for Asami as well.'

'Another guest looking for Asami?' Korra asked in surprise.

'Yes, some lady. Oh, I forgot her name, my memory is not what it used to be. The names of my grandchildren took up the last bit of space I'm afraid.' Yin laughed when she opened the door further for Korra. With curiosity Korra followed her to the kitchen.

'And so the vegetables from the Fire Nation can't be as fresh as those from the Earth Republic. We share soil here.' Korra heard Tu making an heated argument against whoever was sitting with him.

'I see, but people like variation. And with cooling techniques we can preserve the freshness. We tried experimenting with cooling systems, but we can't get it quite right. Maybe I should ask Asami when she gets back home.' Korra recognized the polite manner of speaking and the kind voice which could still deliver words with a sneer.

'Pfff! Cooled vegetables, who's going to pay for that!?' Grandma Yin and Korra walked in the kitchen to see Tu raise his arms in frustration.

'Tu, mind your manners!' Yin warned. Tu just huffed and crossed his arms.

'You're that Lady from the Fire Nation, Asami's aunt!' Korra confirmed her suspicions and pointed to Akena.

'Korra! Pointing is rude!' Yin yelled. Korra blushed and smiled innocently, keeping her arms behind her back.

'I'm sorry…' Akena couldn't help but smile.

'It's good to see you again Avatar. I assume you missed Asami as well.' She said, dapping her lips to dry.

'Yes, I needed to talk to her. Why did you want to see her?' Korra took place at the kitchen table and Yin got her a cup of tea.

'To sell her frozen vegetables idea to her. I tell you, it's bonkers. It would even sink Future Industries.' Tu complained, feeling his professionalism tested by the insane ideas of Lady Oshiro.

'Well, besides talking about cooling systems, which for the record I still think is a good investment, I wanted to ask her about her will.' The word was casually thrown at Korra as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

'What? Her will? Like inheritance and stuff?' Korra asked frowning in confusion. She didn't know Asami had a will, but they never really talked about it either. It's not a fun conversation to have, talking about death. Definitely not at such a young age.

'Yes, I was surprised as well. But my lawyer told me that Asami Sato had added me to her will. I will inherit some items and a compound outside the city. It's most generous, all though one hopes she would survive me. I came here to ask her why. We kind of left things unfinished in the Fire Nation and I didn't expect this kind of gesture.' Akena explained.

'Asami never talked about a will.' Korra said, not entirely stratified with the explanation.

'That's another thing. It was a brand new will, made last week. My lawyer said that the will was set up with quite some urgency. I know she has been through a lot lately and maybe she wanted to have everything in order. Be prepared for the worst. I still wanted to check if everything was alright though. You wouldn't know by any chance why Asami would all of a sudden want to get her will in order.' A cold shiver ran down Korra's spine. She had no idea, but the thought of Asami thinking about her own death made her sick. Akena saw the shock on Korra's face.

'It's probably nothing. A vacation doesn't sound like someone who is planning to die anytime soon.' Akena knew it sounded harsh to even say that. Korra's thought were racing, searching for a good reason for Asami's actions. She must have been sad. If she loved Korra as she told her when she left Air Temple Island, than not visiting her for two weeks must have hurt her feelings. But not so bad as to leave, for forever. Right!?

'Maybe you can search her office and room to find out why she made the will or where she's going.' Tu suggested, caught up in the conversation.

'Tu, you just can't roam someone's room.' Yin warned her grandson. Who were teaching these boys manners?

'But she's like Asami's girlfriend and that's her aunt. I think in this situation it's okay to roam.' Tu rebottled.

'He's right. We will roam respectfully.' Korra said, already rushing to the door.

'Oh, alright. Don't leave a mess though.' Yin knew that the situation sounded dire, but going through the stuff of the person who took her family in just felt wrong. But maybe she was being old-fashioned.

'I'll make sure everything will stay clean and organized. Thanks for the tea.' Akena said reassuringly, following Korra. Tu also rushed outside, not wanting to miss out on this adventure.

When Korra stepped inside Asami's personal office she hesitated a moment. _Please, don't be doing anything rash or dangerous._ She pleaded before launching herself in the piles of papers, looking for any kind of hint about Asami's whereabouts.


	13. I Can See You Now

**I Can See You Now**

* * *

Sorry for the late update, busy summer days. Thanks again for the reviews. A guest pointed out that my grammar is sometimes incorrect. I will try to correct the mistakes I can find when I have time to re-read my story. If something is especially bothersome, please don't hesitate to tell me. It can only make my writing better.

Okay, enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Her project started at her cabin. The police had researched the place, but they couldn't find anything. The lock on the fence was broken, as was the door. Inside the cabin everything was still pretty tidy and nothing was taken. Asami walked around the perimeters to find trails in the dirt. The trail she had found with Naga in the forest was of a motorcycle. If Shin had fled with his motorcycle, then there would be fresh tracks on the ground. It didn't take her long to find imprints of tires behind the cabin. She followed them to the fence. Someone had cut a big hole in it and the trail led to the forest.

_That's a good start_. Asami thought to herself, while she was walking back to her jeep. She drove the same jeep that Team Avatar had driven when they were looking for Zaheer. It was less inconspicuous than her customised Satomobile and it drove better on rough terrain. She took a map out of the glove compartment and laid it across the hood of the vehicle. She had encircled all the places with buildings belonging to Mountain Top Corporations. She also had gone through old files of her father and found some things on Yamamoto from the time he and her dad were doing business. Hiroshi had always been very organized and documented everything. Besides summaries of meetings with Yamamoto and calculations of the costs for the Sato mansion, Asami also found some addresses. Probably personally owned houses where her father could contact the CEO of Mountain Top Corporations.

Asami knew she was looking for a needle in an haystack. Shin had had more than two weeks to escape and he could be anywhere by now. Asami clung to the hope that he had gone to one of the places owned by Yamamoto to rest. When she had busted in the door with Naga, he looked terribly pale and weak. So it wasn't unthinkable that he went to stay at a safe spot to recover.

She took a mental picture of the encircled areas closest by and folded up the map. With a determined step on the gas pedal, she dashed off to her first destination.

* * *

Korra had been searching the whole day. She had looked in every room, but had found nothing but blue prints, scribbled notes, business plans and small parts of machinery. Nothing gave away Asami's location or intentions. After she had combed out every room with Akane and Tu, she had to call it a day. She returned to Air Temple Island to sleep and wave her parents goodbye in the morning.

"We will miss you sweetie." Senna said while squeezing her arms extra tight around Korra. There was worry in her voice and Korra knew that her father had told her mother about their heart-to-heart.

"I'll miss you too." Korra mumbled in her mother's hair. She hadn't told her parents about the dire situation around Asami. They had to leave and Korra didn't want to cause more worries.

"You, Naga and Asami should visit us as soon as you can." Tonraq stated, taking over the embrace from Senna. Korra hadn't talked about her girlfriend during breakfast, but last night Korra had arrived late at the island and this morning she looked pretty tired. So he just assumed that Korra and Asami had made up.

"We will!" Korra answered her father with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. With those goodbyes Senna and Tonraq disappeared into the boat and Korra stayed, waving at the edge of the coast, till the boat got too small to see.

"Are you alright, Korra?" Tenzin asked. He stood behind her.

"Yes, everything is fine. I have to go to Asami now." She answered her teacher. He didn't believe her. There was something off about the excitement Korra had displayed at breakfast. While she smiled and joked with the kids and her parents, her eyes stayed dim.

"Could we have a talk first? Kya and I want to know how you feel after everything that has happened to you." Tenzin asked. Korra let out a tired sigh.

"I told you, I'm fine. I have to go to Asami's house." She impatiently insisted.

"Please Korra, we haven't talked about what exactly happened to you." Now it was Tenzin's turn to insist.

"We have talked about that. I told you about Yamamoto, Shin, how I escaped." Korra protested. There were more urgent matters than to go over old stories.

"Yes, but we haven't talked about your mental state. How your abduction affected you. Being under the influence of hallucinations for days is not something one should take lightly." There was a full-blown concerned frown on Tenzin's brow and Korra knew that he wasn't going to let this slip. It was easier to agree with him and finish up the conversation as soon as possible.

"Fine, let's talk. But I have to leave soon."

"It will only take a minute." With that Tenzin led Korra back inside.

* * *

There were three buildings owned by Mountain Top Corporations around the border of the United Republic of Nations. Asami had checked out the first two yesterday. The places were crawling with police, so she figured that Shin or Yamamoto weren't hiding there. The third building was a bit different. She found its location in one of the old agendas of her father. It was a personal address of Yamamoto and wasn't connected to his corporation. Chances were that the police didn't know about it, so Asami was more hopeful to find something there.

After an uncomfortable night in her jeep she reached her destination. The building was near a mountain side and located in a valley surrounded with trees. When Asami laid eyes on it her heart sank. What was once a private home of Yamamoto and his family, now laid in ruins. Some unstable walls kept up a roof with holes in it and various plants climbed the remains. Asami parked her jeep out of sight in the bushes and walked up to the building or what was left of it. Peeping through the broken windows revealed more devastation. With a heavy sigh she walked back to the jeep.

_At least there aren't any police officers._ She thought to herself. When she got back to her vehicle she took out her map and an apple for breakfast. Slowly munching on the fruit she opened the map on the hood of the jeep to cross off yet another useless place. It was the last building in the United Republic of Nations and other buildings would bring her further away from home and would extend her journey.

While she planned out a new route, two small blue spirits landed beside her hand. She recognized the little creatures. When she was looking for Zaheer with Korra in the desert, these spirits tried to tell them that Zaheer was in the spirit world. Grateful for the warm memory she smiled at the spirits and continued her work. One of the spirits walked over the map and spread it arms or wings, Asami wasn't sure.

"Hi there." She greeted the spirit while she tried to shoo it from her map. But he wouldn't budge, making Asami impatient.

"Could you move. I'm trying to work and this time I'm pretty sure that I don't need to be in the spirit world." She made a waving gesture with her hand to guide the spirit away. Concentrating on the spirit on the map she didn't notice the second one who had disappeared in the glove department of her jeep. He re-emerged with a pair of binoculars and joined his friend on the map.

"Hey! Those are mine. What are you guys trying to do?" Asami asked in confusion, taking the binoculars from the spirit. This gave the other the chance to hop off the map and fly up to Asami's leg. The feeling of something pulling on her pocket startled Asami and with a quick movement of her arm she reached out and caught the spirit in her hand. She pulled it up to look him in the eyes. The spirit had taken the family photo of her aunt out of her pocket. It made an high pitched sound when it met Asami's angry glare.

"Give that back." She said sternly and pulled the picture from the blue spirit before putting him back on the hood of the car. She let her eyes wander over the photograph with her aunt and her young cousin before slipping it back into her pocket. With both hands she now tried to get her binoculars back from the other spirit, but the creature firmly held on to the device.

"Come on. I need to go on with my work." Asami hissed at the spirit. The spirit answered with a screech.

_Wait, last time they wanted to help us and we didn't understand them. Maybe they also want to help me now._ Asami suddenly realised and loosened up her grip on the binoculars.

"Okay, have it your way. What do you want from me?" She asked, calming her voice. The spirit with the binoculars ascended in the air and flew past Asami to the edge of the forest. Asami followed him and stood next to him when he returned her binoculars. With curiosity Asami looked through them, sharpening the view with the little wheel on top of the device. She could make out a figure walking towards the demolished building with a wheelbarrow full of explosives. She immediately recognized the lean body.

"Shin…"

* * *

Korra wrapped her hands around the steaming cup. She was too much in a hurry to drink tea, but Tenzin and Kya insisted. They sat across from her and were just staring at her. No one said a word.

"So, what do you want to know?" Korra decided to get the conversation started. Tenzin and Kya shared a worried look before one of them answered her question.

"Well, how do you feel? Is your bending coming along?" Kya asked, moving a little closer to Korra.

"Yes, I can bend again and the pain when I do is gone. After some more training sessions I should be back at my old level." Korra's words were spoken dully and Tenzin frowned again.

"What did Yamamoto tell you when he kept you captivated?" He calmly asked. Korra sighed and shrugged her shoulders.

"We've been over this. He told me about a new society. One in which everyone has his or her rightful place and duties to fulfil. I guess he wanted my help to overthrow the old regimes and start his ideal world." Korra didn't want to go over this again.

"And does he still tell you to help him?" Kya's question was unexpected and weird.

"What do you mean? He's not here so how could he tell me?"

"Yume-berries were once used to brainwash people. It made them more open to new ideas and concepts. Centuries back the Fire Nation schools even used the berries to make their pupils more perceptible to the school material." Kya started to explain. "They stopped that practice when they found out that it drove the pupils crazy. Hearing things that weren't there, getting physical sick when things didn't turn out as the theory predicted. Korra, brain washing is a serious thing and we just want to make sure you're not suffering from it." Kya's story sent a shiver down Korra's spine. She still heard Yamamoto's voice and she had the feeling that he was looking over her shoulder. It scared her and made her restless.

"I feel like there is someone watching me. But I can handle it…" She softly admitted.

"I heard that meditation can help to clear your mind from the voices." Tenzin said, looking at Korra in the hope that she would open up a little more about the matter. Instead she withdrew her hands from the cup and stood up.

"Thanks, I will work on it. I won't do anything Yamamoto told me to. I have to go now." Finding Asami and bringing her back was to most explicit thing she could do to rage against Yamamoto who was still lingering her head. It was true that she felt split and was struggling with herself and she was grateful that Tenzin and Kya noticed and tried to help her, but she already had made a plan.

"Alright, just know that we are here for you." Kya said. Korra nodded and walked out of the door.

"Do you think it's wise to let her go like this?" Tenzin asked his sister, for he wasn't convinced that Korra was going to be fine on her own. Kya shrugged almost nonchalantly.

"She's the Avatar and you know that Avatars are stubborn. We can't force her to let us help her."

"But we also can't have an Avatar mentally controlled by a dictator, so we need to guide her."

"Yes and how did guiding Korra against her will turn out for you these last few years? Sometimes we have to trust in her and stop trying to control her." Kya said while standing up and stretching her muscles.

"I trust her! It's just that she doesn't always know what she's up against."

"Alright Ten-Ten, we'll continue controlling her when she's back." Kya answered with a grin and left the room. Tenzin huffed in frustration.

"I don't want to control her…" He mumbled.

* * *

Asami's eyes were fixed on the entrance through which Shin had disappeared. Apparently the spirits were content with her discovery, since they calmed down. One sat on her shoulder, the other on the ground. Asami could hear her heart pounding through her chest. She had spent the last few weeks making her plans and now it was coming together.

After fifteen long minutes the lean man reappeared. He walked backwards and rolled out a thread on the ground from a spindle. He slowly disappeared in the bushes, going to the mountain side that was close by. With fast footsteps Asami walked back to her jeep. She threw the binoculars on the chair and reached for the glove department. She felt the fabric of her newly made electrified glove and hesitated for a moment.

_No, you have planned this. Now you have to pull through…_ With that thought she pulled the glove out and ran back to follow Shin into the forest. The two blue spirits started screeching again, but didn't bother to go after her.

The thread Shin had laid out was some sort of electrical thread. It was clear that he was going to destroy the building, to what purpose Asmai didn't know. It was at least easy to track her target and to her surprise the thread led her into a cave. On both sides of the entrance of the cave were two heaps of explosives. _Why would he blow himself up in a cave?_ The thought scared her, but she went inside anyway. There was no point to wait and if he detonated the explosives she wouldn't be able to get to him. Something dark inside Asami wanted her to be the one who put an end to him. He didn't deserve to blow himself up.

Keeping close to the walls of the cave, Asami was able to sneak in. After walking a while in the darkness, she could discern a figure, hanging over a detonator shaped as a box with a handle on top of it. He was attaching the thread to the box, too absorbed in his work to notice the young woman approaching him. There was still hesitation in her hand when she turned the switch on her glove, but the slowly increasing crackling sound of electricity made her more confident.

When Asami was seven feet away from her target he turned his head. The electricity lighted up the cave in a clear blue colour. Surprise and shock flashed over the man's face, but he composed himself quickly to indifference.

"You did promise to come back for me…" He said with a sarcastic tone in his voice.

"Step away from the detonator. This is over." Asami was taken aback by how cold her voice sounded, as if it wasn't hers. She felt herself changing while the deadly charge on her right hand grew impatient.

"You're not the only one with fancy weapons." Shin pointed to his belt and Asami could see a kali stick hanging from it. She assumed it was electrified as well.

"So let's continue this is in the dark." His voice announced. Before Asami could charge forward Shin pushed the handle into the box and on cue an ear deafening bang filled the cave. Asami heard rocks crumbling around her and the bit of light from the entrance disappeared with a cloud of dust. Asami covered her eyes with her left hand, not wanting to hurt herself with her glove. She felt sand and dust fill up her lungs which made her cough. After a minute of chaos, silence returned. Her hand still produced a blue light.

Slowly she wiped her face clean and started taking in her surroundings only to find a flash of blue approaching her. She could jump back just in time to avoid the electrified kali stick that smashed into the ground. She was about to answer Shin with an attack of her own when she felt the ground under her feet tremble. Both she and Shin froze. The rumbling stopped and panting breaths filled the air.

"Why would you blow up the cave?" Asami didn't mean to start a conversation, but for someone smart enough to almost kill her twice, this was quite a dumb action.

"It's all part of a masterplan. With the entrance closed no one can come after me." This made Asami smile.

"And yet here I am."

"What can I say, you're a good opponent." Their passive aggressive banter was stopped with another wave of vibrations.

"Is this part of your masterplan as well?" Asami asked sceptical. She didn't want to die in a cave before she could finish what she started.

"Maybe the cave is a bit more unstable than I thought…" Shin admitted. _If that's the case than I might as well hurry up. _Asami thought while pushing her feet from the ground. The electricity flashed upon Shin face who wasn't expecting the sudden charge during their conversation. Asami aimed for Shin's chest. But before she could put a death sentence on her opponent, the ground underneath their feet gave way. In seconds Asami's world turned into a chaos filled with dust, rocks and rumbling. She didn't know what was up or down when she lost her footing. The only thing she knew was that the chaos stopped after a while and her body was laying on an hard surface.

* * *

Her hands moved over the fabric of a red and black coat, which was hanging between other clothes in the immense closet. Even though Korra had no hope in finding something useful in Asami's bedroom, she couldn't stop herself from touching the various items that reminded her of the black haired engineer. Without hesitation, she slipped the coat from its hanger and stuck her arms through the sleeves. The coat was a little too big for her. The sleeves fell over her hands and the underside fell a little lower than it would when Asami was wearing it. But the fabric was warm and comforting. There were still traces of Asami's scent on it, which hit Korra's nose every time she inhaled.

Korra moved to the bed and sat down, hugging herself closer into the coat. _What have I done? You did the right thing. No! This isn't right… _Her conflicted thoughts gave her an headache and she ran her hands up and down her face to push the pressure away. It would destroy her world if she would never see Asami again and that won't help her fulfil her duties. She had to get Asami back into her life.

A soft knock on the doorpost dragged her out of her thoughts. Mako was standing in the entrance, with an expression between embarrassment and concern. He uneasily cleared his throat and Korra realised what kind of impression she was making, burying herself in Asami's coat.

"I was… It's cold… I found no clues…" Korra stuttered while jumping from the bed.

"It's okay. I know you miss her and those coats are pretty comfortable." Mako said apologetically.

"Did you wear one as well?" Korra asked, imagining Mako in a Future Industries coat. He coughed awkwardly, cursing himself for bringing it up.

"Yeah, we were out on the race tracks once and I borrowed her coat. No big deal. Anyway I came by to tell you that I found nothing. The police have no reason to go after her, so maybe it's better to just wait for her return." Mako said. Last night Korra had called him to explain that she needed to find Asami. In her agitated state the story sounded incoherent to him. Something about a voice in her head and a will. He tried to calm her down, but Korra wouldn't hang up the phone before Mako had promised to help her. So this morning he had gone to Future Industries to ask about Asami's whereabouts, but no one could tell him anything.

"Have you looked in her office? Maybe she left something there." Korra tried.

"There is no point. If she wanted us to know where she went, we would know by now. I get that you are worried because she made a will and everything, but maybe that's something she wanted to do for a while. It doesn't mean she's in trouble." Mako continued. He wanted to help Korra, but he just couldn't see the problem. Asami had told them that she needed some time alone, so it's no surprise that she was gone now.

Korra let herself fall back on the bed. Of course Mako's words made sense, he was always the reasonable one. But there was something off about the whole thing. It wasn't only the fact that Korra desperately needed to talk to Asami, but she had a bad feeling in her stomach. It was not like Asami to just travel around with no destination. The last time when Korra saw her in her office, she looked determined. She was friendly to them, but her mind seemed miles away. Korra first thought it was because she shut Asami out for almost two weeks and had created the distance she then saw in Asami's green eyes. But now Korra thought it was something else. Like Asami was planning something in secret. Something that was obviously dangerous and forced her to make a last-minute will. But then again, she also could just be on vacation.

"I want to be sure she's alright. That's all…" Korra softly spoke. Mako nodded.

"Okay, I will look into it a bit further then. Just try not to consume yourself with worries. Maybe take a walk outside or something." Mako suggested. _What will a walk outside bring me?_ Korra thought with a sigh. But then something started to click. She jumped up and stared at Mako with a grin.

"That's a way more enthusiastic response than I expected, but good either way." Mako mumbled.

"You are a genius!" Korra yelled.

"Okay, thanks." Mako said puzzled, but he just took the compliment anyway.

"We'll find Asami in no time!" Korra walked up to him and grabbed his wrist. Before he could say something Korra dragged him outside.

* * *

The world turned back to normal. Asami took some deep breaths to calm herself down and take stock of her injuries. There was some rubble on her body, but nothing heavy. Her right hand was stuck underneath a rock, but the thick fabric of her glove protected her hand. With a moan she pushed the rock off and saw how the impact had destroyed the electric device on her glove. With an angry pull she took it off and tossed it into the darkness. By some miracle her head was spared from any serious damage and her limbs seemed to be okay as well. She was definitely bruised and her body felt soar, but nothing was broken.

With a sigh of relieve she sat up, scanning her surroundings. When she looked up she saw a big hole where once the floor was. This space must have been under the cave all along, making the ground more unstable than it looked. She heard some grunting a few feet away which reminded her of her mission. The explosion and sudden fall through the ground made her determination bigger. She just needed a new weapon and get it over with. Going to the rubble around her she found the kali stick that Shin had used on her.

_I guess it is my lucky day._ She thought, picking the stick up. There was a button that jolted an electrical wave through the thing. _He internalized the electrical charge, smart man._ With careful movements she stood up and started to move to the grunting. She found Shin on his back, desperately pulling on his right leg which was stuck underneath a large boulder. His face was scrunched up with agony and Asami almost felt bad for him. It didn't take him long to notice the engineer with his kali stick in her hand. Without saying a word Asami turned on the electricity and hovered above him.

"So this is the end?" He asked surprisingly calm.

"Anything you still want to say?" Asami never has done this before, but she thought everyone deserved a few last words.

"Just get it over with…" He voice sounded empty and he stopped his squirming. When Asami moved the weapon closer to his throat he didn't look away or even flinched. He stared at her without blinking. Tangerine eyes fixed on green ones. Before Asami could push the stick on his throat to end his life, some gears in her head started to turn. Something in Shin's eyes pulled Asami deeper into her memory, puzzling things together.

_Own designed automobile. Don't eat the poisonous berries. _The memories of their first meeting floated through her head. Without pushing the stick further she examined his face, his jawline and the pitch black hair. _That's Jun. My son. Jun disappeared in the woods when he was six years old. If you see him somewhere, please tell him I'm still waiting here for him. He knew how to break my security system._ Silently Asami took her hand away from Shin's throat and turned the kali stick off.

"Come on! If you want to do it, do it now." Shin yelled at her, not understanding why Asami wouldn't put him out of his misery. With her free hand Asami reached into her pocket until she found the picture from her aunt. _Those spirits wanted to tell me something…_ She unfolded the picture before her eyes without changing her position.

"You're from the Fire Nation." She said matter-of-factly.

"I know I look the part, but I grew up in the Earth Kingdom." Shin answered confused.

"What happened to your parents?"

"You know, most people find it easier to know as little as possible about their vic…"

"What happened to your parents!?"

"My father left me when I wasn't even born yet and my mother… I guess she's dead." Asami swallowed hard after hearing this answer. Her eyes burning a hole through the photograph of Akena and Jun.

"What's that?" Shin asked, noticing the intense look on Asami's face. With a sudden move Asami threw the kali stick away and let the picture fall on Shin's chest.

"Your mother and my aunt." She stated bitterly while moving away from her victim.

"What?" He picked up the picture and inspected it as good as he could in the dark. There was a woman with a little boy. Something inside him broke, as if this picture was the reason why he never felt that he belonged anywhere. He couldn't remember the woman clearly, but he knew that Asami wasn't lying to him. Silent tears fell from his eyes while he sobbed in the darkness.

* * *

"Where are we going!?" Mako was starting to get impatient. Korra had dragged him through the halls of the Sato mansion into the garden. He was afraid that she would drag him all the way to the city.

"Spirit vines." Was her short answer. A frown appeared on Mako's face while they were approaching the edge of the Sato estate.

"Oh! You want to track her with the spirit vines, like when we searched for Wu. That's actually a good idea." Mako exclaimed in relief, knowing at last where they were going. In the back of the garden was a spirit vine. It was thick and destroyed part of the race tracks on the estate. Asami didn't mind it and saw it as an extra obstacle for her test rounds. The two friends halted in front of it and Korra let go of Mako's wrist. The tight grip left red marks on his skin.

With a deep inhalation Korra placed her hands on the spirit vine. She hadn't done this in a while and it costed her a lot of concentration to feel the energy flowing through it. She had visions of the city, of Lin sitting behind her desk, of Raiko yelling at one of his interns, of Bolin and Opal strolling around the market. _Okay, concentrate Korra. You need to find Asami._ With all her might she focussed on Asami's energy. She wasn't in the city. With every second Korra's view broadened until she reached the borders of the United Republic of Nations. Her visions were faint since she wasn't as good at this as Toph, but she felt Asami closing in.

Mako patiently waited. He saw how Korra's forehead rippled under the effort she put into her task. After a while Korra removed her hands and looked at Mako. Her eyes were big and she trembled a little.

"What is it?" Mako started to get worried.

"We need to contact Lin and get to Asami!"She said while running back towards the mansion.

"Wait! What's wrong!?" Mako yelled after her.

"Shin has found her!"

* * *

Shin lost track of how long the silence lingered between Asami and him. He could make out her silhouette, sitting with her back towards him. The impact of the things she revealed to him were still rushing through his veins, but the throbbing in his leg kept him in the present.

"Is she still alive?" He asked with broken voice. He heard the fabric of clothes rustle and the silhouette turned around.

"She's still waiting for you in the Fire Nation." Somehow Asami's voice sounded even more broken.

"What a friendly family we are." Shin stated, going back to his normal state of sarcasm.

"I remember the look in my father's eyes when he tried to kill me. I directly knew that he meant it. He wanted to toss me aside like I was nothing. When I close my eyes I can still see it as clear as the day when it happened. It filled my nightmares, but that wasn't the worst. In the worst nightmares it was me that tried to kill him. The same look in my eyes. Something inside me wanted to end his life for all the hurt he had caused. I guess that impulse won out in the end." Asami said out of the blue. Shin was taken aback by this personal story. It was probably on her mind for a long time. He didn't know that Hiroshi tried to kill his own daughter. Something like that must have left its imprint.

"I'm glad that I could keep up the family tradition of trying to kill you." He made a misplaced joke in lack of anything else to say. To his surprise he heard a dry chuckle.

"It definitely runs in the family." The silhouette stood up and Asami hovered over him again, but this time her eyes were fixed on the boulder that kept his leg immoveable.

"You better hold your breath." She warned before starting to push off the boulder. The pain was sharp and intense. Shin clamped his teeth together, but a whimper still escaped him. Lucky for him the boulder easily rolled off his leg and Asami was staring down.

"How bad is it?"

"It is broken, that's for sure." He could hear disgust in her voice, but she didn't turn away.

"It feels broken."

"I need to stabilize it." Her voice now sounded more like an engineer checking the damage on an automobile. Shin saw how she looked around. It was still very dark, so he didn't know what she was hoping to find. But after a while she moved and went through some stones. She returned with the discarded kali stick and started to dismantle it, which wasn't easy in the dark.

"What are you doing?" Shin asked, feeling his head buzz with pain.

"You don't want to be electrocuted when I bind your leg with this. Alright, I need to set the bone." Asami laid the disarmed kali stick next to Shin and knelt down beside his broken leg.

"Have you ever done this before?" He asked with a trembling voice.

"No, I haven't, but I fixed a lot of dented machines."

"I'm not a machine! You don't know what you're doing!" Shin started to panic.

"It can't be worse than killing you." He couldn't dispute that. He felt warm hands on his painful leg and tensed up in anticipation.

"I will count down. Three, two, one…" A sickening crack filled Asami's ears and cold shivers ran through her body. She wanted to gag, since this was more horrendous than she could imagine, but the leg laid in a better angle now. Shin wasn't saying anything anymore and Asami noticed he had fainted. She shook her jacket of and found the small pocketknife in her pocket. _This is my favourite jacket… Oh well… _With pain in her heart she cut the jacket in shreds with the small knife. With trained hands she pushed the kali stick against the limp leg and wound the fabric around it tightly. When she was done she looked down at her work and felt a strange pang of pride. For someone who wasn't a doctor she had done a great job.

With Shin or Jun taken care of, she started to wander around the cave. There had to be a way out. The hole above her was too far away for her to reach, so she had to find another exit. Walking around led her to some sort of root. It was big and broad and pierced through the ground. She ran her hands over the rough surface and looked up. Solid rock greeted her from above. _We're never going to get out of here._ She thought with a heavy feeling.

She turned around to check up on Jun when the roof above her started to crack open. With her arms above her head she tried to protect herself from the rubble. With quick steps she moved backward. Dust filled once again her view. When the dust settled she squinted her eyes. A small stream of light pierced through the darkness. She saw how a figure jumped down the hole and softened her fall with a blow of wind. Two blue eyes met hers and she felt warmth rush back into her limbs.

"Korra?"


	14. Coming Home

**Coming Home**

* * *

"Korra…" It took a while for Asami's brain to adjust to the new situation. Korra walked up to Asami, who was stunned and kept gazing at her.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Korra asked, taking Asami's hands into hers.

"I… I'm fine. How did you…" Asami stumbled over her words while she unconsciously squeezed Korra's hands.

"Spirit vines." Was Korra's simple reply. She pulled Asami forward, towards the light casted by the hole above them. Korra peered into the darkness behind Asami.

"Korra! What on earth are you doing?" A voice yelled down. Asami immediately recognized the voice as Mako and a cold shiver ran down her spine.

"I found an alternative entrance and Asami. Get Lin!" Korra yelled back.

"Okay, be careful down there. This cave is unstable." Mako answered. A couple of peddles fell down while Mako hurried off to get the Chief of Police.

"Mako and Lin are here as well?" Asami asked in a small voice. She didn't count on this. She felt shaky from all the things she found out just moments ago. Her heart was torn between happiness and relieve of seeing Korra and guilt and disgust about the way she herself had acted. Asami really didn't need an audience for the nervous breakdown she felt coming down on her.

"Yes, we're here to save you and arrest Shin. I sensed him with you. Are you sure you're alright, I can heal you." Korra said, grabbing the flask that hung from her belt. _Shin. Healing. _Asami regained her ability to think and grabbed Korra's wrist.

"Yes. You need to come with me. He needs you." She said with determination and dragged Korra with her into the darkness.

"Wow, wait." Korra exclaimed. She bended a fireball in her free hand to illuminate their way through the cave. After a rushed walk Korra could see someone laying on the ground. It didn't take long for her to identify that someone as Shin. Her body tensed and she prepared for assault. Asami let go of her wrist and knelt down beside the unconscious body. With one hand she lifted his head and with the other she searched for an heartbeat in his chest.

"He broke his leg when we fell down. I set his bone the best I could and he fainted. You need to help him." Korra noticed the concern in Asami's voice. This was not going the way she had expected. She thought she would bring Asami to safety, fight Shin and make him pay for all his crimes and then have a conversation with Asami wherein she explained about Yamamoto, the yumi-berries and the confused state her mind was in. But Asami hovering over Shin's body, pleading her to rescue him was something she had not foreseen.

"I… I can't heal him here. It's too dark." Korra spoke with tension in her words. Asami nodded in understanding. She pulled on Shin's arm and with a few smooth movements she had Shin securely on her back. He moaned in discontent, but didn't open his eyes. Seeing Shin's body so close to Asami's made Korra grit her teeth. She had to use all of her self-control to not pull Shin off.

"Okay, let's go." Asami said, seeing how Korra was fixed to the ground. Her words shook the Avatar from her thoughts and without saying a word they walked back.

* * *

It took Korra more than half an hour to get Shin's leg back into reasonable shape. Mako and Lin were standing behind her. Lin was impatiently tapping her foot, she needed to get back to the city and all this was taking up too much time. Korra was usually faster with healing, but her eyes kept shooting towards Asami's hand entangled with Shin's.

When they got out of the cave, Asami had laid Shin down on the grass and pulled his head onto her lap. Korra reluctantly started to heal him. When Shin moaned in pain again, Asami had taken his hand to calm him down. Worry never left her face as she tried to sooth Shin's exclamations of pain. It filled Korra's head with questions, distracting her from her healing. What was going on? Why was Asami acting all worried and affectionate towards the man that tried to kill her? Shin was nothing but bad news, but here Korra was, healing him while Asami stroked his hair, while telling him it's all going to be alright.

Mako could see how agitated Korra was. He also was surprised to see Asami's concern for the criminal they tried to hunt down for weeks now. What worried him more was how the whole situation put Korra on the edge of rage. Still, he couldn't find the words to diffuse the situation and had no choice but to witness the tension grow.

"I think he's good to go." Lin interrupted.

"Is his leg healed?" Asami's voice sounded broken, her eyes pleading with Korra.

"I'm not done yet, but he shouldn't be in much pain now." Korra mumbled back.

"Good! Let's get him into the automobile. We will call some healers when we're at the police station." Lin commanded, already walking back to her vehicle.

"Are you sure he's alright? He's not waking up." Asami asked. Korra bit her lip, not missing the genuine concern in Asami's voice.

"He'll be alright." She confirmed once again under her breath. She had learned to forgive and show compassion to everyone. She had done that with Kuvira in the end. But Shin was pushing her buttons. Her hands itched to break his leg again. She knew it was wrong and she would never do it, but somehow she felt he deserved it. _You have no claim on Asami. Let her go._ The deep voice in her head said. With frustration Korra bended the water back into its container. She didn't need the stupid brainwash voice on top of everything else!

"Here, I'll carry him to the car." Mako offered, not knowing if Korra could take another second seeing Asami so close to their enemy. Asmai nodded and let Mako pick Shin up. Then she stood up herself and dusted off her pants.

"Thanks Korra, I'm happy you found us in time." She said with a small smile. Korra just gave her a nod, averting her eyes. Anger was almost surfacing and she didn't want to yell at Asami, so she kept her lips tightly shut.

"Let's round this up!" Lin yelled from a distance.

"We should go." Korra said without looking at Asami.

"My jeep is a couple of feet away. I will be behind you." Asami answered, hearing the cold tone Korra was using. When Korra was healing Shin Asami's mind wondered about the fact that Korra had gone through all this trouble to find her. It warmed her somewhat and gave her hope that she still meant a lot to Korra. But now Korra was being distant and strange again. She wanted to grab Korra's hand and ask her what was wrong. Why she would shut her out all this time. Why she would look for her and then push her away again. But this was not the time for such a conversation, still Asami couldn't help the lump in her throat and the small tears brimming the corners of her eyes. On top of all her family drama, Korra's averted eyes hurt her the most.

"I'll go with you. Just let me talk to Lin and Mako." Korra stated and walked up to the others. She couldn't let Asami drive back alone. Even if Asami was frustrating and confusing her.

* * *

Driving took Asami's mind off things, which made it easier to deal with everything. She tried to focus on the automobile of Lin in front of her and stop her thoughts from going anywhere else. An half hour later and Asami failed completely at this task. Her mind started to bounce between her family, the feeling she had when she pushed a fatal electrical charge to someone's throat and Korra, who was staring out of the window without saying a word. To make matters worse, Asami noticed that Korra was wearing her jacket. This would usually make her smile and feel all giddy inside, but now it just added up to her confusion. Why would Korra wear her jacket when Asami was quite sure Korra didn't want to see her anymore. At least for the past few weeks.

Of course Asami could comment on the jacket or ask Korra flat out what was going on with her, but somehow the words never reached her mouth. She had a feeling that saying one word would lead to another and before she knew it she would be caught in a verbal waterfall with all the unpleasant emotions and consequences. So she kept quiet, focussing on the road, trying to not get caught up into her thoughts too much.

Korra sighed as she watched the forest flash by. She could see how focussed Asami was on the road, her knuckles white from gripping the steering wheel. Her green eyes never left the vehicle in front of her.

_Is she thinking about Shin?_ That thought made Korra grit her teeth again. She turned back to the window. How could Asami and Shin end up in a cave together? Was it coincidence or was it an arranged meeting? What could have happened in the past weeks that made Asami agree to meet someone like Shin? Maybe she already knew him before Korra's kidnapping.

_No, Asami would never hurt me like that._ An old nightmare popped into Korra's mind. The one where she was electrocuted by Asami in the spirit world. Questioning what Korra actually knew about Asami. Goosebumps formed on Korra's arms as she shook her head. Things were bad between them now, but Asami was not the villain. She had to get out of this downward spiral of negative thoughts.

"Your aunt was looking for you." Korra said out of the blue, just to break the silence that lured her into a living nightmare. Her voice almost made Asami steer the jeep into the bushes.

"What?" Asami asked in suprise, stealing a glance at Korra before returning her gaze to the road in order to keep them on it.

"Your aunt. She was looking for you. I thought you should know she's in town." Korra elaborated a bit.

"Is she still in the city?" Asami asked with a little more energy in her voice.

"Yes, she might be. She helped us look for you yesterday and disappeared around the evening. I don't know where she is at the moment, but Grandma Yin invited her to stay at your mansion, so she could be there." Korra answered, raising her eyebrows. She didn't expected such an enthusiastic reaction from Asami. It actually dragged her out of her fixation on Lin's vehicle.

Without saying another word Asmai sped up drastically, causing Korra to grip the side of the door. If Asami could get to Akena she could at least solve one of her problems. In no time Asami drove parallel to the other automobile and gestured for Lin to roll down her window. Lin reluctantly complied, wondering what kind of fresh trouble she was in now.

"I'm going ahead to my house. See you in Republic City." Asami yelled, leaning a bit over Korra who sat between Asami and Lin. "These roads are dangerous, you shouldn't exceed the speed limit." Lin warned, knowing it was to deaf man's ears.

"Don't worry! I got it!" Asami answered, pushing her jeep further. The jeep wasn't as fast as her Satomobile, but she had upgraded the engine in case of an emergency and this seemed to be just that. So it was easy for Asami to drive past Lin and keep an high speed while she steered through the corners. Korra knew Asami was an impressive driver and she never felt unsafe when Asami was behind the wheel. But now she was slightly worried, clinging to the side of the jeep.

"Shouldn't you slow down just a little?" Korra pleaded. She didn't mind the speed, if something would go wrong, Korra was able to safe herself. But she didn't want Asami to hurt herself or cause any accidents. Seeing Asami end up in one deadly car crash, was something Korra didn't want to experience again. Besides that, she hadn't got a clue why Asami couldn't wait to see her aunt. Everything Asami did seemed to make no sense at all to Korra and it made Korra uneasy.

"I'll be careful." Asami simply replied.

* * *

When they reached the Sato estate, Asami parked her jeep with screeching tires. She jumped out without saying anything to Korra. Her mind was racing. She could make things right. She can bring Akena to her lost son. Shin will remember who he is and change his ways. And if they forgave Asami, she could have a family again.

With her heart full of hope she ran inside the mansion.

"Akena? Aunt Akena!?" Asami yelled through the hall, but there was no answer. She threw some random doors open to yell her aunt's name again, but the rooms stayed silent.

_Upstairs. She could be upstairs._ Asami thought, sprinting to the second floor. She threw open doors, while repeatedly yelling Akena's name. Asami's frantic pace brought her to her own bedroom in no time. Once in there she stopped her search and stayed quiet. Her heart was ponding fiercely and her panting filled the room.

_She's not here…_ Realization dawned on her. If Akena was here she would have reacted to Asami's screams by now. No aunt, no reunion, no redemption.

With a desperate sigh she let herself fall down on the bed. _It's not a big deal, Akena will come back._ Her hands trembled while she pushed her palms against her eyes. She needed this. She needed to handle one issue so she could get some space to breathe, but lately things weren't going her way. Problems just continued to pile up and it had been ages since Asami felt she had any control over her life. This constant drifting without knowing where she will end up was wearing her down.

* * *

Korra saw Asami run inside her mansion. She heard the door slam open and Asami yelling her aunt's name. Korra slowly stepped out of the jeep, figuring it was better to let Asami do her search. When she calmed down, Korra could ask her about Shin. Maybe her aunt could clear things up, if she was at Asami's mansion.

With a calm pace Korra entered the house. She saw open doors and heard a door slam shut upstairs. She walked up the stairs and looked inside a couple of rooms. After a while she found Asami laying on her bed, hands over her face.

"Asami?" Korra asked worriedly. Asami looked defeated, as if her life depended on finding Akena. To Korra's horror small shocks of sobs moved through Asami's body. With careful steps Korra approached the bed, forgetting the questions she needed to ask.

"Asami, are you alright?" It was a stupid question, but Korra couldn't think of anything else to say. All the doubts she had about Asami on their way back disappeared. Asami was suffering and Korra was to focussed on Shin to even see it.

Slowly Asami turned to her side, hiding away from Korra's voice which sent a sharp pain through Korra's heart. _She doesn't need you. Your presence only makes things worse. You have different duties to fulfil. _Korra shook her head. Struggling against the voice in her head, Korra managed to sit down next to Asami. She tried to lay her hand on Asami's shoulder, but Asami shot up at the touch and moved away. She kept her distance four feet away from the bed.

"Asami, what's wrong. Let me help you." Korra attempted to calm Asami down, but all she got were two green eyes piercing through her head.

"What are you doing?" Asami asked, small tears rolling down her cheeks. With an angry hand she wiped them away. She hated to come undone like this.

"I care for you…" Korra answered insecurely, not knowing where Asami's strong reaction came from.

"Don't lie to me Korra! Why are you here if you can't stand to look at me. Every time we spoke you looked away. Every time I tried to touch you, you flinched. Every time I saw you, you grew more distant from me. I thought you didn't want to see me anymore and I respected that on some level, but I can't do this. I can't have you pull me in to push me away again! So if you want to help me, then leave." Frustration made Asami's body tremble. This was the first time she confronted Korra with these feelings. Asami assumed they were over, which was a bitter pill to swallow. A situation she hadn't fully processed yet, but Korra's behaviour was, to say the least, ambiguous. She rather have it all end now and fall into a pit of sorrow than to hang in limbo for a second longer. She wouldn't even ask for the reason, if Korra was just clear in what she wanted from her.

Korra felt the blood retreat from her face.

"T-that's not… No… I." Korra mumbled under the fixed gaze of Asami.

"That's not what?" Asami's voice increasing in anger. She had a feeling Korra was playing with her feelings. Something she thought Korra would never do, but here they were.

"I love you. I never stopped loving you." Korra confessed. She couldn't stand the thought of Asami seeing their relationship as over. It was true that Korra cut their connection to give Asami the space she was entitled to, but deep down inside of her she had always believed that Asami was still her girlfriend.

"Then why? Why would you do this to me?" Korra's words soothed the storm in Asami's heart a little, but she needed an explanation. Korra scrambled to her feet and walked over to Asami to throw her arms around her. This time Asami let herself be pulled into a tight hug. Korra felt that sickening feeling that she was doing something wrong. Her muscled involuntarily contracted, but this time Korra didn't let go.

"I wanted to see you. I came looking for you because we need to talk. I didn't want to hurt your feelings. My mind is off track, that's all." Korra spoke against Asami's neck.

"Your mind?" Asami pushed Korra a little bit back to inspect her face.

"Yamamoto, he kept me in some sort of trance wherein he could implement ideas in my head. I've been feeling conflicted and confused ever since, but I shouldn't have let it come between us. Please, don't shut me out." Korra tried her best to keep her voice levelled. The feeling of Asami's body against her released a lot of bottled up emotions. She needed Asami to forgive her.

Asami slowly stroke her hand through Korra's hair. _The yumi-berries, of course. If I see Yamamoto ever again I will..._ Asami shook her head before that thought could develop any further.

"Are you still confused?" She asked.

"I have this voice in my head. Tenzin says meditation will help, but I don't know." Korra mumbled, pulling Asami against her body again.

"I'm here for you. You know that, right?" Asami reminded Korra. Korra smiled, burying her face in Asami's neck. If they could stay like this forever, everything would be fine. She felt how Asami lazily rubbed circles on her back, something which made Korra forget all her worries, just for a while.

"I love you." Korra said, words that were stronger than the pinch in her mind. Asami continued her ministrations, but didn't response.

"Asami?" Korra lifted her head to see a distance look in Asami's eyes. Asami felt Korra move in her arms and was pulled back to the present.

"Yes?" She asked, seeing Korra's questioning eyes.

"You know you can come to me for everything as well" Korra said. Asami smiled and nodded.

"I know… Let's just enjoy this, for now." With that Asami moved forward and pressed her lips to Korra's, something she hadn't done for way too long.

* * *

The room was quiet and peaceful. Korra was laying on her back, sinking away in the soft mattress. Asami was laying with her head on Korra's shoulder. Korra enjoyed the sensation of holding Asami and she felt herself relax, almost drifting off into sleep. Asami had her eyes closed, but Korra could feel how her muscles were tense. There was still something wrong, but Korra didn't dare to ask. She didn't want to disturb this peaceful feeling.

"Spirits, I'm still wearing your jacket." Korra chuckled, just now noticing the sleeves. She totally forgot about that. Asami opened one eye and smiled.

"I noticed it on the drive back here." She said with a lazy voice.

"And you didn't say anything?"

"I guessed you had your reasons. I had to rip up the one I was wearing, that was my favourite one. But I think I have another favourite now." Asami spoke jokingly.

Korra knew where Asami's jacket had ended up, wrapped around Shin's leg. This brought back her doubts and questions. She had to know what was going on between Asami and Shin, but she also didn't want to ruin the mood. She felt how Asami breathed out contently. Korra felt bad for what she was about to ask, but she couldn't hold it in.

"So what were you doing in that cave anyway?" She tried as nonchalantly as she could. She felt Asami shift, lifting up her head to look Korra in her eyes.

"I fell, it was stupid." She answered and laid back down, hoping that Korra would drop it.

"But how did you fell in it and how did Shin end up there?" Korra continued, clearly not satisfied with Asami's vague answer. Asami sighed deeply, moving from her comfortable position to create a little distance. She understood the questions Korra had, but she wasn't feeling like sharing.

Asami was now laying on her back next to Korra, staring at the ceiling. Korra could see how tension returned to her body and how her lips tried to form words only to swallow them back in.

"Please Asami. You can tell me anything. I want to help you, but I can't if you don't tell me what is going on." Korra pleaded, dreading that Asami might close up on her again.

"I… I tracked him down. I followed him inside the cave. He had hurt you and I wanted to end it all. It was the only way I could think of to help you, even if you didn't want my help." Asami said, weighing every word.

"You could have told us. We were looking for him too." Asami turned to Korra, her eyes sparkling with beginning tears, but Asami simply refused to cry.

"I couldn't. You would have stopped me."

"Why would I stop you?" Korra frowned in confusion. Asami swallowed, knowing that she couldn't lie to Korra.

"You would have stopped me, because I wanted to kill him." Asami said with closed eyes. She didn't want to see Korra's reaction. There was a moment of silence.

"You tried to catch him and…"

"No! I planned to find him and then kill him. I even made a special electrified glove to do it." Asami felt sick. Saying it out loud made it worse. How could she lose her way like this?

Korra processed the new information. Imagining Asami planning a murder seemed almost impossible to her. Since the day Asami attacked her father without hesitation because it was the right thing to do, she kind of became a beacon of morality for Korra. Even though they didn't get along very well in that time. Asami going after Shin with the purpose of killing him didn't even made sense. All thought it did explain why Asami was so worried about him. She didn't want to be a murderer and that's why she saved his life.

"You got carried away. You mended his leg. You're not a murderer. You stopped before you could seriously damage him. Asami, you just got lost, but you came back in time. You saved his life and made sure his leg got healed." Korra explained, more for herself than for Asami. Asami turned to Korra, guilt gripping her heart.

"Korra, I didn't stop for the reasons I should have stopped. I only let him life because…" Before Asami could get her sentence out a loud knock emerged from the door. Asami closed her eyes.

"What reason?" Korra ignored the door, but another round of knocking came along. Korra sighed and got up. With angry footsteps she walked to the offending sound and opened the door.

"What!?" She asked, only to be pushed aside.

"I had a feeling that you might be here!" Varrick announced, walking up to the middle of the room. Asami shot up by the sudden intrusion, drying her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Yin let us in." Zhu Li greeted, walking passed Korra as well.

"We're kind of in the middle of something." Korra protested.

"We can come back later. I told him you would be busy… in the bedroom." Zhu Li stated, making Korra blush.

"Geniuses never rests! I come with utmost precarious information." Varrick answered. He threw a device towards Asami, who caught it just in time.

"What's this?" Asami asked, not recognizing the device in her hands. It was some sort of small microphone attached to an half circle with something that looked like an earpiece.

"That's the headset you wanted me to investigate." Varrick answered.

"Headset? I never heard of an headset." Asami frowned, wondering if Varrick ever mentioned an headset to her.

"Well, I was going to name it the 'Varrick-whisperer', but Suyin changed it to headset, which works as well I guess." Varrick explained. Asami shook her head. Varrick made no sense at all, as usual.

"Suyin? I don't get it." Asami tried for another explanation, turning to Zhu Li.

"Suyin called us. She told us about Mountain Top Corporations and their attack on the Earth Kingdom. She had found this on the crime scene and wanted us to find out where it came from." Zhu Li cleared things up. Asami nodded. She remembered that some men working for Yamamoto wore these things on the heads.

"Turns out that was an easy task, since they came from me!" Varrick said.

"You mean, you sold them to Yamamoto?" Korra asked.

"Yes." Varrick confirmed with pride.

"Of course you sold it to the enemy." Asami mumbled.

"He paid a good price. Lucky for you kids, I can retrace the frequency of the Varrick-whisperers and kaboom! He's still using them." Varrick continued.

"So? Good for him." Korra said puzzled, but Asami jumped up.

"Which means you know where he is." She said hopeful.

"There are a couple of places where he could be. So we're not sure." Zhu Li rectified.

"So we just have to ambush all those places?" Korra asked, knowing how many people that plan would need. "That's impossible. We can't take that gamble, as soon as he sees we're on to him he just hides somewhere else!"

"This is all we got. Maybe you can fill in the blanks." Varrick said.

"Ugh, I'm so done with hide and seek. How should we know where he is?" Korra complained. Asami looked up, headset clutched in her hand.

"We do not know where he is, but I know someone who might."

* * *

**Sorry for the extremely late post. I had a writer's block (bah). Anyway, I'm back on track! Thanks for reading.**


	15. In the Moment

**In the Moment**

* * *

They hadn't said word. They were just staring at each other. Asami could carefully examine his face for the first time. The longer she looked at Jun the more familiar he became. His tangerine eyes, the short pitch black wavy hair, his pale skin. This was her cousin, they were family. He was taken away from Asami, like her mother was taken away from her and her father. Asami balled her hand into a fist.

"So…" Jun spoke slowly, clearly seeing the tension showing on Asami's face. She looked up surprised, as if she didn't expected him to speak. "Here we are." He continued, raising his chained arms in the air.

"I… There is something I have to show you…" Asami spoke, reaching for the rolled up map she had with her. She gave the mirror behind her a quick glance. She knew that everyone was behind the glass, watching over their conversation.

Asami rolled out the map and turned it to Jun. It was a map of the Earth Republic. An handful of circles were drawn to discern areas. Some bigger than others.

"We are looking for Yamamoto. We think he is still in the Earth Republic in one of these areas. Do you know where he could be?" Asami asked, looking back into Jun's eyes. He looked over the map for a short while, then turned his gaze to Asami.

"Is that really what you want to ask me?" Some part of him was hurt by the business-like manner of Asami. He knew she wouldn't throw her arms around him and welcome him to the family, but Asami's voice was devoid of any emotion. It was as if she had already forgotten their encounter in the cave.

"Do you know where Yamamoto is?" Asami tried again. Of course there were a million things she wanted to ask him, but right now wasn't the time. As long as Yamamto was free, they were all in danger. She hoped Jun realised that.

"I might. He's like family. Family is a funny thing, don't you think?" Jun dared Asami with his eyes. They both knew that the people who Asami cared for where all behind that fake mirror. Jun could say he was her cousin, holding the fact over her head as a threat. But Asami didn't budge. Her eyes didn't waver in her stare.

"Yes, you should protect your family with everything you got, before it's too late." Asami said, her voice still monotonous. The words however hit Jun. Asami wasn't here to use him or hide him from her friends. If she wanted to keep him a secret, she could have simply sent someone else to do this dirty job. She was here because she cared.

Jun swallowed, realising again how much Yamamoto had taken away from him. It was hard to change his hostile attitude, since Yamamoto was everything he knew for years. Maybe it was time for a change of guards. Let Asami do what she needed to do. He needed to trust that blood runs thicker than water. He needed to trust Asami to fix this and give him back his family. Give him back his mother.

"It's not this." He tapped the biggest circle on the map. "He has a mansion there, but he only uses it for guests and sunbathing." Jun looked down on the map once more, moving his finger over some lines.

"This is where you want to go." Another tap. Asami looked down and saw a small circle, more like a dot in the middle of the Si Wong desert. "He has an underground base there with supplies. It's hard to find though. I'm surprised it's marked on this map at all." Asami swallowed. She hadn't even noticed the dot. If Yamamoto was there, this operation was going to be difficult. She remembered the Si Wong desert well. How Korra was captured and how the airship they were on had broken down. They barely made it out alive.

"I know, it's not the most fun place to go to." Jun said, seeing the gears turn in Asami's head.

"How sure are you? We can't take that kind of risk without result."

"Very sure. If you had a secret base in the middle of a dangerous desert, wouldn't you go there to hide away from the world?" That made sense to Asami. With quick resolve she rolled up the map.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

* * *

Korra listened to the conversation with a lot of interest. She couldn't see Asami's face, since her back was facing the window. Her voice sounded levelled, making it hard to read what she was thinking. Besides all that, the interaction went smooth. The start was a bit tense, but Shin almost gave in immediately when Asami asked a second time if he could tell where Yamamoto was.

_What's going on between those two._ The little voice of doubt entered Korra's head.

"Contact Misty Palms Oasis." Lin said to one of her officers as Shin had pointed out the location. The officer nodded and left the room.

"Not the best of locations, but at least we have something." Mako said as he and Korra looked how Asami rolled up the map to leave the cell again.

"Yes, let's hope he's not tricking us." Korra mumbled, still not convinced of Shin's honesty.

"He is not." Lin declared.

"How do you know?" Korra asked as she turned to the Chief. If Lin trusted Shin she must have compelling evidence.

"My officers have inspected the place where we found him and Asami. Apparently he had blown up another area besides the cave. We found residue of an underground base filled with mecha suits and other sorts of vehicles." Lin explained.

"So he blew up Yamamoto's base?" Mako asked in awe.

"We aren't sure, but it looks like it. Seems like Yamamoto and Shin have a disagreement."

With a soft knock an officer entered the room.

"Misty Palms is on line two." He said.

"Good, Mako make a list of supplies and people. We need to move fast." Lin ordered.

"I'm on it." Mako said as he left with Lin. Korra sighed and turned back to the cell. Shin was alone, tapping his foot and whistling. His nonchalant manner annoyed Korra.

"Did you get the information?" Asami asked as she entered the room. Korra turned and tried to smile at her girlfriend.

"Yes, Lin is already contacting Misty Palms." She said.

"Good, I will tell her that I will prepare my airship." Asami answered, plans already forming in her head.

"So, that went smooth." Korra commented, nodding her head towards the window.

"Are you okay?" Asami asked, knowing that Korra wouldn't normally make that kind of remark.

"What's happening between you and him? Can we trust him?" Korra asked. If she was about to go on a dangerous mission, she wanted to know her intel was right.

"We can. It's all we have got."

"That's not a good reason." Asami sighed. She needed to get her airship ready so they could leave. Besides that, there was so much more that needed to be done. Talking with Korra about Jun seemed impossible to fit in. Although Asami knew the cause of that might well be that she didn't want to talk about it herself.

"Korra, we have a lead." She said instead of confessing. Korra nodded and looked back. Shin was still softly whistling.

"Alright." She mumbled. If this was going to get them to Yamamoto. If travelling all the way to Si Wong desert would make everything right again, Korra would take the leap of faith.

"Good. I'll see you at my mansion." Asami said, leaving Korra in the small room.

* * *

"Best out of eleven!" Bolin yelled through the cabin. He and Mako were playing Pai Sho to kill the time in the giant airship. Some guards had taught Mako the game when he was in the Earth Republic with Wu and he was already better at it than his brother, which Bolin didn't take well.

Asami stared out of the giant window. In a couple of hours they would reach the vicinity of Misty Palms Oasis. There they would hide the airship and go into the town for a brief rest. Then the difficult part would start. Combing out the desert in search of an entrance to a secret base. The chance that Yamamoto would notice them before they found him was big and Asami knew this. Normally she wouldn't take that kind of risk. She would figure something out that was a safer bet, but might cost more time. This time however she couldn't let it go. She needed to get Yamamoto as fast as possible, even if their chance of success was slim.

"Not a lot to see." Korra remarked, walking up to Asami. Asami looked up and smiled.

"I know, I can't believe how dark the night can get." She said, turning back at the black scenery the windows showed.

"Maybe you should take a nap." Korra suggested.

"I could say the same to you." Korra sighed. "Sorry, I didn't…" Asami turned back to Korra. She didn't want to be rude, but her mind was still catching up with everything that was going on.

"It's okay. We both need rest." Korra said, taking away Asami's worries that she had offended Korra.

"Korra… Can we talk?"

"We already are." When Korra finished her sentence Asami grabbed her by the hand and lead them away from the brothers. They entered one of the bedrooms on the airship. Asami flicked the light on and continued to sit on the bed.

"I don't want you to go with us into Si Wong Desert." Asami said.

"W-what? That's…"

"You're still recovering. I know your bending is back, but Yamamoto is apparently still in your head. I don't want you to face him." Asami looked at Korra, seeing a display of confusion and anger. Asami knew that Korra wouldn't take this well, but she wanted Korra to be safe.

"I'm the Avatar! This is my fight too!" Korra said in frustration. The only way for her to let go of her kidnapping was to capture the man responsible.

"I know you are the Avatar, but you don't always have to fight. Let us take care of it." Asami insisted.

"You think I'm too weak?" This hurt Korra's pride a little bit. She knew better than to take it personal, but she didn't want to feel useless. She knew that she was struggling, but it was unfair of Asami to cut her out like this.

"You've been hurt." Emotions started to well up when Asami said those simple words. Tears caught her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Korra had been hurt and she let it happen. Yamamoto was entangled with her family, not with Korra. The way Asami had felt when she was almost sure Korra was gone forever was still fresh on her mind. She couldn't put Korra or herself in that position again.

"You've been hurt as well. Do you think I don't remember how you crashed your car? I almost lost you."

"I almost lost you twice! First to Zaheer and then to Yamamoto!"

"Are we really arguing about who has almost died more often!?" Korra was trembling. _It's not your place to fight the natural order that is coming. No! Shut up! _Korra cringed at the voices in her head as she sat down next to Asami. She pushed her hands through her hair, trying to organize her thoughts and feelings.

"I get it okay. You're worried, but so am I." Korra spoke in a calmer way. She felt an hand on her knee.

"If life has taught me anything, it's that it just takes a moment to lose someone forever. I love you. Too many people who I have loved have slipped through my fingers. I know that you want to fight and that you have enough reasons to want to catch Yamamoto. I just can't let you slip through my fingers." Asami said, trying to make herself sound less doubting of Korra's abilities.

"We will be alright." Asami shook her head.

"You know by now that that's a lie. I barely survived when I crashed my Satomobile. Yamamoto could have killed you with a snap of his fingers. The world is a dangerous place, definitely for you. I knew that when I fell in love with you. I knew I would have sleepless nights and that I couldn't always stop people from hurting you. I accepted that. But this is different. You're still broken. You don't have to face him like this." Korra let Asami's words work in on her.

"I won't take the lead…"

"Thank you." Asami wiped a tear from her eye before she leaned in closer to Korra. Korra draped her arm around Asami, encouraging her to get even closer. She couldn't foresee the future and Asami was right. They could promise each other that they will get out alive and well, but the hard truth was that such a promise was empty. They were both mortal and it would only take a moment.

"Just don't leave me now." Korra whispered, feeling their situation weigh down on her.

"I won't."

* * *

"Everyone freshen up. In an hour I want to leave for the desert." Lin commanded her officers when they entered the small town. The officers saluted and went their separate ways.

"I can't get this thing right." Bolin complained, tugging on the collar of his cloak. They all wore cloaks, so no one would recognize them. Although Asami thought that a group of cloaked people still attracted the wrong kind of attention, she let it slide.

"Here, stop pulling." Mako said as he straightened out his brother's cloak.

"So where are we going?" Korra asked.

"Oooh, we could go back to that inn where we had a stake-out. Take a stroll down memory lane." Bolin suggested.

"This isn't a fieldtrip!" Asami snapped at him. She saw his face sink and a pang of guilt filled her heart. "I'm sorry Bolin, I didn't mean to yell. All of this is getting to me."

"It's okay. I thought memories would get our minds off of things. You know, until we really need to focus."

"Then let's go. Maybe they still have that small room where I beat you a thousand times with Pai Sho." Asami said with a smile.

"A thousand!? You know that's not true and I almost had beaten you if Naga hadn't messed up the board." Bolin protested.

"Well, everything better than yelling in the street." Mako remarked.

"Yes, we need to move." Korra agreed. She started to walk into the town. Asami had to take a few fast steps to walk next to her. Somehow she wanted to spent this hour as close as possible to Korra.

"Hey, are you sure you're okay?" Korra whispered when she noticed her girlfriend next to her.

"As okay as I'm going to get right now." Asami answered, grabbing Korra's hand. She felt a small pull, as if Korra wanted to avoid her, but soon the Avatar settled down, softly taking the hand into hers.

When they entered the inn, Bolin slammed the bell on the counter. A big bald man with a moustache emerged, looking agitated as he snatched the bell away from him.

"Yes?" He said in a deep voice.

"We would like a nice cosy room with a view on the pool." Bolin declared with a smile.

"We're all booked."

"What!? Really, even the little small rooms?"

"Even those." The man deadpanned before walking away again. Bolin looked around the counter inside the inn. He saw a dozen of officers drinking tea in the lounge. "Jeez, those officers are fast." Bolin mumbled.

"Maybe we can find some other place to stay. A nice café or something. We only have an hour anyway." Korra said, trying to soften Bolin's disappointment.

"Yeah alright, that's fine too I think." Bolin agreed. The group turned to exit the inn as a familiar face appeared at the door.

"Asami?" In the doorway stood Akena, shock and surprise in her eyes.

"Aunt Akena."

* * *

"So, I don't really believe in coincident." Akena spoke over her steaming cup of tea. She and Team Avatar had found a quiet bar to sit and talk. "I assume we are all here for the same reasons."

"We're here to catch Yamamoto. A… source told us he has a secret base here." Asami explained. She didn't want to bring up Jun, not now. Not with her friends present.

"You have a good source."

"So you're here for Yamamoto as well?" Asami asked. Instead of answering Akena gave Asami a letter. With curious eyes Asami started to read it.

"What does it say?" Bolin asked softly, not knowing if he should break the intense family reunion with his question.

"That Yamamoto wants to meet with Akena…" Asami said.

"Yes." Akena turned towards Korra, Bolin and Mako. "He needs to see me. In an hour his men will pick me up by the fountain and will bring me to him." She explained the rest of the team.

"Can I see that letter?" Mako asked, wanting to know if there were hidden clues. Akena nodded and Asami handed him the letter. He started to thoroughly inspect the piece of paper.

"Why would he write you?" Asami asked. She knew what Yamamoto had done to Akena and her son. Maybe her aunt wasn't still aware of it and wanted to reach out to the villain.

"I would say he's desperate. I never entirely cut our communication, so I might be his last chance."

"So the only place where you could meet him is the secret base. That would explain the escort from the fountain." Mako said, trying to figure out a plan. Then suddenly he snapped his fingers. "We could bug you!"

"What?" Akena said, stopping stirring her tea to look at Mako.

"We have trackers. You brought the trackers right?" Mako asked, turning towards Asami.

"Yes, I have." Asami said in an uneasy voice.

"What are trackers?" Korra asked.

"Something Varrick and I have developed for the police. It are small devices giving of a signal we can pick up. You can plant them on anything or anyone, making it possible to track that thing or person. It's actually the same thing that Varrick used on his earpieces." Asami explained.

"We can put a tracker on you without Yamamoto knowing it. In that way we don't have to search the desert, but just follow you." Mako elaborated.

"That sounds like a solid plan." Akena said softly.

"I don't know." Asami mumbled.

"What? It's a good plan! If we need to find his base on our own it could take days. He could flee before we're even close." Mako couldn't believe Asami was doubting this plan. It was a no-brainer.

"It would put you in a dangerous position. If we enter the base and Yamamoto suspects that you have anything to do with it, he could… He could hurt you." Asami said, looking into her aunt's eyes.

"Or he could kill me." Akena confirmed Asami's fear. "It's a risk we have to take."

"We don't have to." Asami protested. She didn't want to put the life of her aunt on the line. It seemed unfair to her. She just found her.

"Asami dear, sometimes we have to accept our fate. Yamamoto needs to get stopped. I know what he did to you and your friends, he can't do that to anyone else."

"No, I won't let you." Asami heard how childish she sounded, but a chilling fear filled her veins.

"That's not for you to say." Akena said sternly, turning back to Mako. "You can bug me as soon as I have finished my tea."

"Okay…" Mako said hesitantly, half-expecting Asami to burst out in protest again. But Asami kept quiet this time.

"We will get there in time." Korra whispered to Asami as she took the engineer's hand under the table. Asami nodded, avoiding eye contact. Korra's soothing words sounded like another empty promise to her.

* * *

"Turn a little to the east." Mako said form the backseat of the jeep. In his hands he held a device, beeping in intervals. The tracker worked. Akena had been picked up by three men half an hour ago and now Asami, Korra, Bolin and Mako were in a rough terrain jeep, following them on a distance. Behind them Lin and her officers followed suit.

"His base is a long way from Misty Palms." Korra mumbled. Asami shifted gears. She wasn't in the mood for small talk. Her mind was with her aunt and the awkward position they had put her in. It made her angry. "We are going to be there on time." Korra said once again, noticing the dead grip Asami had on the steering wheel.

"I know…" Asami wanted to smile and tell Korra that she believed that to. But deep down she had a bad feeling about this. A feeling that she wouldn't return to Republic City the same person, if she would return at all.

"Stop!" Mako yelled. Asami slowed down and gently stopped the jeep. "Her signal stopped moving." Mako said pointing his finger on the display of the device. After another three beeps, the sound died down.

"I can't catch her signal anymore, they must have gone underground." Mako updated the crew.

"Okay, let's warn Lin and walk the last few feet. We don't want to set off Yamamoto with the sound of engines." Korra decided and her friends immediately agreed.

* * *

Somehow Korra had expected that it would be harder to infiltrate Yamamoto's lair. After a short walk of fifteen minutes, they had arrived at the place where they had lost Akena's signal. There was a big metal gate on the side of what looked like a dune. It was sand coloured, which made it hard to find if you didn't know where it was.

"If we open it we will definitely attract attention." Mako said, putting his hand on the cold steel of the gate.

"I don't think he built a backdoor into this thing, so we have no choice." Korra knew that their only option was to confront whatever was behind those gates. She didn't want to waste time to a thorough search of the area. Akena was in there, every second becoming more threating for her. Korra would do anything to safe Asami's aunt, knowing how much it meant to her girlfriend.

"Let me see." Asami said, pushing Mako to the side. There was a small keypad besides the gate, asking for a code.

"Are you going to guess what the password is?" Bolin asked.

"And set off all the alarms? No." Asami remarked, reaching inside one of the pockets in her pants. With a little screwdriver she loosened up the keypad, revealing threads of different colours. "This will take a moment." She added, trying to decipher the workings of the security system.

"Alright, take your time." Bolin stretched his arms from side to side, warming up his body for battle. Korra heard the snapping sound of Asami cutting some wires.

"I think you can bend it open now without the alarm going off." Asami said, turning towards Korra.

"Really? Just like that?" Korra was surprised how fast Asami had disarmed this thing.

"I guess he never thought anyone would find him here." Asami shrugged her shoulders. She was also surprised by the simplicity of the security, but she was too much in an hurry to think about it.

"Okay, let's do this!" Korra turned around and Lin and her officers were already in bending stance. With the power of an handful of metal benders, the gates cracked open.

Asami reached in her back pocket, putting on her electrified glove. The sensation of the leather around her hand made her palms sweaty. _You're just going to arrest him._ She reminded herself as she prepared for assault.

When the gates were opened, Mako and Bolin jumped inside. With a flare from his hand, Mako illuminated the vast hall in front of them.

"There's no one here." Bolin pointed out in surprise. Mako pulled the tracker out of his pocket, it started beeping again.

"Then we have to find the people ourselves."

* * *

It was a nice furnished room for a secret bunker underground. The sofa's looked expensive just as the rugs that tied the metal room together. It was almost an homely atmosphere, except for the three guards that were standing behind Akena.

"Now that we are past the formalities, I want to make a deal." Yamamoto spoke. Since the moment Akena entered the room he was hard to read. His face was placid, not giving away any hints about his mood.

"I am always open to deals." Akena started to feel nervous. She had made a conscious choice by coming here and wearing the tracking device. She had peace with that choice, but her body still reacted to the threatening situation.

"I am losing ground. As you already know, the police is looking for me. The Earth Republic is not a save place for me anymore. Besides that, my people are leaving me." Akena couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. She had suspected that his organization was falling apart. Asking her for a deal meant that Yamamoto was at the end of his wits. It still surprised her how honest he was.

"Alright." She encouraged him.

"You have loyal people in the Fire Nation and a big chunk of land. I need a part of that."

"And why would I give it to you. After everything you have done to my niece." A dry chuckle left Yamamoto.

"Let's chalk that up under indiscretions. You will help me because I can make you more powerful. I still have a lot of assets. Once I am back on my feet, I won't be knocked down so easily anymore." It was a desperate move. This released some of the tension for Akena. She was Yamamoto's last chance. His only acquaintance left that could help him out.

A small lamp in the corner of the room lighted up. The red glow silently moved through the room. It seemed to catch Yamamoto's attention. For a second anger flared up in his eyes. He nodded to his guards and they left the room one by one. When he turned back to Akena, his face was neutral again.

"And here I hoped we could begin with a clean slate."

"I don't know what you are talking about." Akena lied, keeping herself composed.

"Spare me the lies. You brought your little friends." Through the open door a faint bang was heard, as if a large object was thrown against the wall. It sounded like a fight, a short fight at that. "I knew it was unlikely that you would help me out. I would have spared your life if you just agreed with my terms, but now you leave me no choice."

"You need to be stopped. I accept whatever fate is coming to me." Akena's voice was levelled, but her heart was beating in panic. Even if she would gladly give her life for this cause, it was still a bitter pill to swallow.

"Let's see what kind of cockroaches you brought, shall we?" Yamamoto smiled, a sadistic smile suited for a man that was about to lose his mind. It didn't take long before footsteps neared the door.

"Yamamoto! Surrender now and no one will get hurt!" Korra yelled as she was the first to enter. Mako, Bolin and Asami were right behind her.

"Ah, your niece and the Avatar with her two guard dogs. I wouldn't expect any less from you." Yamamoto said, seemingly happy with his new visitors.

"Put your hands up, it's over." Mako demanded.

"Yes it is." Yamamot said in a deep voice. He raised his hand, waving it to the side. The walls started creaking and with the speed of light metal plates came loose. They flew towards Mako and Bolin, chaining them to the wall by their wrist and ankles. Before they realised what had happened it was already too late.

"You're a bender!?" Korra said in disbelieve. How did she not see this coming? With a grabbing motion she tried to pry the metal away from her friends, but the plates wouldn't budge.

"Haha, you always need some tricks up your sleeve. In contrast to you, I kept my ability to bend hidden." Yamamoto laughed. "You can't free your little bender friends. That aren't ordinary metal plates. They are infused with platinum. The amount of molecules you can bend is small. I trained myself to bend these plates, maybe in a couple of years I will be the first bender that can bend platinum." Yamamoto explained. Korra had to admit, it was kind of impressive as she felt the lack of bendable metal in the heavy plates.

"Let them go!" Asami demanded, firing up her electric glove.

"Please, you are not coming near enough to use that toy of yours on me." Yamamoto almost spat his words at Asami.

"Then I will fight you." Korra answered back. She left the metal alone and focused on Yamamoto. A sharp pain went through her head, but she tried not to flinch.

"You're not going to hurt me Avatar. You know your place." His words send a shiver down Korra's spine. As she wanted to throw a powerful blow of air his way, her hands started to shake and her stomach contracted. _Everything has its place. You can't fight the natural order. _Yamamoto's voice resonated in her head. _No, I need to fight! _She wanted to straighten her back, but the piercing pain in her head only got worse, sending her down her knees._ The natural order will come and you know it! _The voice blared, muting all her other senses.

In horror Asami watched how Korra fell to the floor. Her face went pale and her body started to shake. _She's still suffering._ Asami registered, knowing that it came down to her to face Yamamoto.

"Now, if you will excuse me, Akena and I want to finish our conversation." Yamamoto stated. With anther flick of his wrist a plate of metal came flying towards him. It floated in the air while it rolled itself up into a rod. The far end of the rod got sharpened into point, glistering in the light.

"If you value your life, you are coming with me." Yamamoto said to Akena. With pain in her heart Asami saw her aunt stand up, giving in to Yamamoto's command. "Walk through that door and don't even think about attacking me or running. There is no way out." Akena nodded and walked to the door behind Yamamoto.

"Don't worry, I will come back for you." Yamamoto grinned as he took some steps back, following Akena outside the room. When he was in the door opening he pushed a button on the other side, making a door slide down. Asami saw Yamamoto's grin slowly disappear behind the door.

"I'm so sorry Asami." Korra whispered, trying to force the immense headache away, but Asami wasn't listening. Her blood was boiling. She couldn't just stand there and watch another family member of her being dragged out of her life. When de door was half way down she heard footsteps retreat. This was her window.

With a powerful sprint Asami sprung forward, ducking onto the floor to slide under the door before it closed.

"Asami! No!" Korra yelled as she saw Asami's boots disappear while a wall of metal enclosed the room. A deafening silence surrounded Korra and the brothers. _I failed her. _Was all Korra could think as the situation was now out of her hands.

* * *

**A new chapter, finally! This one is for Andressa (and probably the next ones too :P) , since she reminded me that I needed to finish this. I know things move fast in this chapter. It took a while to get back into the story, but I hope I didn't mess it up and you still like it. Anyway, thanks for hanging around and reading this chapter.**


	16. The Loss We Have to Bear

**The Loss We Have to Bear**

Asami heard the thud of the metal door closing behind her. She jumped up, knowing that she needed the element of surprise to land a successful hit. The electricity from her glove crackled as she ran forward to Yamamoto. He was standing with his back towards her, slowly turning as he noticed movement.

_I just need to touch him. Anywhere would do._ Asami thought as the man got closer into her reach. She pushed her hand forward, but before the electrified glove could make contact a big hand wrapped itself around her wrist, turning it to the ground where it made a dull crack.

Asami hissed at the sharp pain running through her arm. She tried to wiggle out of the vice-like grip and prepare another attack. Before she could move, a metal plate slammed into the side of her face. Yamamoto let go of her wrist and Asami flew against the floor.

"Asami!" She heard her aunt yell as she tried to stop the room from spinning. A fluid was running from her nose, spatting red drops on the floor.

"You seem to have a dead wish." Yamamoto spoke as Asami shook her head to get her focus back.

"I can't let you take away my family." Asami said. Her legs trembled and her arm didn't want to move properly, but Asami still manged to stand up. It was almost pointless. She knew she was no match for an earthbender of Yamamoto's strength. She could only out-manoeuvre benders that were fickle and slow. Yamamoto was neither of those things.

"I took only what was mine. Your mother was supposed to be my wife and you were supposed to be my daughter. Until that street rat Hiroshi ruined it all." Yamamoto was starting to lose his cool. Asami's eyes and her manner of speaking reminded him of Yasuko. Reminded him of what the world had taken away from him. And he was sick of that reminder. He needed to move on.

"No one is supposed to be anything. We need to accept what life gives us. You were never entitled to my mother or me or my cousin." Asami spat. All her life she tried to live with the losses she had to endure. She let herself believe that things just happened and mourning over them too long would only make matters worse. But now, facing a man that had destroyed her family because he couldn't let go, brought all her anger to the surface. Yamamoto was the fate she always had tried to shake off.

"Cousin?" Akena asked.

"For a woman priding herself on how informed she is about the comings and goings in this world, you sure have a blind spot." Yamamoto said, finding it pretty laughable that Akena still hasn't figured it out. Even after so many years.

"He kidnapped Jun. Jun was the man that tried to kill me." Asami explained swiftly, wanting Akena to hear it from her and not from Yamamoto. "He atoned for his crimes. He's safe in Republic City." She added.

"My son is alive and safe…" Akena spoke with tears brimming the corners of her eyes. "You took him. How could you!? After all the bad things you have done, this… I thought you still cared. Somewhere behind all the madness, I thought you were still the boy we used to play with when we were young." Akena felt like a fool. All those years Jun was within her reach and she failed him. She let this man turn her son into a monster.

"He's weak, just like all of you. I should have ended him when I had the chance." Yamamoto remarked, turning his attention back to Asami. "It's time that I erase this family from the face of the earth. I tried to make you see, but you people just kept on messing things up for yourselves." Yamamoto waved with his hand. A long, slim plate of metal detached itself from the ceiling. It shone in the light and Asami could already see that its edges were sharp. Once again she stared right into the eyes of death.

"I feel sorry for you. You can kill me and everyone who doesn't agree with you. In the end you still will be alone and unloved." Asami said bitterly. She knew Korra, Bolin and Mako would track him down and end him. That calmed her somewhat, but the thought that she would never see Korra again made her heart ache. She was so focused on saving her last family members that she had forgotten to take care of her new family.

"I'll take that risk." Yamamoto declared. He pointed his two fingers towards Asami and the plate slashed through the air. Asami closed her eyes, ready to take the pain. The only thing that really hurt was thinking about the people she would leave behind.

"I am so sorry." She whispered to herself as she felt a piercing pain sliding through her shoulder.

* * *

Korra sat on her knees, hiding her face from the world. Her heart was going crazy. Deep inside of her she felt a powerful storm brewing. It took all of her restrain to keep herself from going into the Avatar state and destroy everything around her.

"Korra? Korra!" Mako's voice forced Korra to look up. The brothers were still pinned to the wall. "You need to free us." Korra looked at her hands. Her own inability hit her again.

"I can't bend the metal." She said defeated.

"Yes you can! Learn yourself to bend this metal." Bolin said.

"I can't!" Korra turned towards the brothers as the rage inside her was boiling up again.

"Yes, you can! Remember the day you learned how to metal bend? I have never seen anyone pick it up so fast. You are Korra! You can almost bend anything, so bend us free!" Bolin insisted. He sounded more angry than his normal self. His arms were getting sore from the way he was hanging, but it also hurt him to see Korra beat herself up. He still believed in her and she had to believe in herself too.

"You're right." Korra admitted in a small voice. This wasn't the time to pity herself. Asami was on the other side of that door and needed the help of her friends.

With a sharp inhale through her nose Korra closed her eyes and stood still. She tried to trace the metal molecules in the room. _Just like the spirit vines. Follow the energy. Let the molecules guide you._ Slowly, but surely, Korra extended her arms. She felt small portions of metal react to her. It was hard to move them, the platinum surrounding them refused to be manipulated.

_Come on. If you have any place in this world, it is as a bender. If Yamamoto can do this, than so can you. You have no choice. You need to protect your friends._ Korra deepened her stance, bending her knees a little. Her energy almost fused with the metal. It took all the power she had, but the metal bands around Bolin's wrists started to shake.

"That's it! Keep going!" He encouraged Korra. Kora felt energy rush from her stomach to her arms. She knew that by now her eyes must be shining white as she felt her grip tighten around the metal. With a swell swoop of her arms she broke the bands holding Mako and Bolin chained to the wall.

Mako exhaled in relieve as he landed on the floor.

"Good job Korra!" He said. Korra's eyes returned to normal and she just nodded. "Now let's get Asami." Mako walked up to the door. "Can you bend this open?" He asked, looking over his shoulder.

"No, that is pure platinum." Korra said. The thought of Asami being behind that door with Yamamoto made her crazy. It made her feel powerless, even after her small victory with the metal bands.

"There's a keypad here." Mako pushed in some buttons. He figured that there was no harm in setting off alarms. Lin and her officers must have infiltrated every room in the building by now. There were no reinforcements coming to save Yamamoto.

A big cross emerged on the display as Mako tried another combination.

"This is no use, it could be anything." Mako sighed.

"If only Asami was her to crack it." Bolin said. _Asami should have been here. I should have ended it with Yamamoto._ Korra's thought made rage dance before her eyes. She couldn't wait here and watch how Mako punched in some random numbers.

Without thinking Korra walked up to Mako and pushed him aside. With fire forming around her fist she punch into the keypad, cracking it open. It spilled its contents, as electricity sparked through the wires.

"What the hell Korra!? You broke it!" Mako yelled. He knew she must be tense, they all were tense. That was still no reason to act like an idiot.

"You didn't have a better idea!" Korra yelled back.

"Uhm, guys?" Bolin said as the platinum door slowly started to rise.

"Wow, his security system is really bad." Mako remarked, not believing that Korra's punch actually worked. It was about time that things started to move their way, so he wasn't complaining.

Korra watched how the door revealed more and more of the room behind it. With every inch her rage started to intensify. She had to swallow and breath slowly to stop the Avatar state from taking her over.

When the door was open enough for her to see inside, her heart stopped. She saw Yamamoto with a raised arm. In front of him Korra recognized Asami's back. She was laying on the ground in a growing pool of what looked like blood.

"Oh no!" Bolin gasped as Korra felt a gulf of anger and pain slam into her. The image in front of her narrowed as everything was swallowed into a blinding white light.

* * *

Asami's body forced a strong gasp of air out of her mouth. There was a stinging pain emitting from her shoulder. She tried to reach it with her hand, but her arm wouldn't move. _Something is laying on me…_ She thought dully. She tried to move from under the weight, opening her eyes to get a better view. In front of her she saw the back of Akena. Her aunt had caught the worst of Yamamoto's attack with her own body.

"N..no…" Asami stuttered as she realised how still Akena was laying. Asami wanted to push herself up to tend to Akena's wounds, but the moment she moved a weird wind rose up.

"What do you think you're doing!?" Asami somewhere registered Yamamoto's voice as the wind started raging around her. With a grunt she pushed herself free. Her shirt was damp with blood, but she had no time to linger on that fact. Her head felt dizzy as she looked up.

Korra stood in the door opening. Her eyes were white as lashes of wind circled around her. Slowly she ascended from the ground. Asami heard Bolin and Mako yell things, but she couldn't discern the words. The wind got worse when Korra slowly moved across the room. It was as if she was possessed.

Asami turned her head and saw horror envelope Yamamoto's face as he slowly backed down. He reached for the ceiling and tore pieces of metal loose. Every time he threw a plate at Korra, Korra swiped it away with a flick of her finger.

One plate bounced off into the direction of Asami and she could just roll away in time. _This isn't good. She isn't herself._ Asami thought. She threw a look at her aunt who laid motionless on the ground. Asami wanted to bring her to safety, check her pulse, but she could only think of Korra.

With all the power she could muster, Asami forced herself to her feet. The energy and wind Korra had gathered around herself was strong and pushed Asami almost directly back to the ground.

"Korra! Stop!" Asami didn't know how, but her voice pierced through the small storm inside the room. It didn't reach Korra however. The Avatar was now within a foot of Yamamoto, creating an air sphere around his head.

Asami pushed her body further into the storm. She had to stop Korra before she did something she would regret for the rest of her life. Yamamto grasped at his neck as the air sphere slowly sucked out all the useable oxygen from his lungs.

Asami was just a few steps away from Korra. The lashes of air slammed into her face, but she didn't mind. She didn't know if she could touch Korra without getting hurt. _It doesn't matter. I have to reach her!_ In the last step Asami thrusted herself forward, falling into Korra's back. Korra was floating and Asami could easily wrap her arms around her waist.

"Korra! It's okay! Stop. Please, stop. It's okay." Asami's voice got softer as she kept repeating the words. She closed her eyes and pushed the side of her face into the small of Korra's back. Close to the Avatar the wind wasn't that bad and there was nothing in the world that could force Asami to let go.

Slowly Asami felt the body she held onto lower, dragging her towards the ground. She had lost too much blood to open her eyes or even move. She was already drifting off into unconsciousness when she felt the cold floor beneath her.

* * *

Everything around her was white. A white vacuum. Korra felt traces of hurt, anger and shock, as she floated through the nothingness. For the life of her, she couldn't remember where she was before this emptiness. Or if she was at all. It was as if the universe had imploded. Boiled down to one singular point.

"Stop…" A soft whisper drifted through the empty space. Korra wanted to look around, ask who was talking. But she couldn't find her voice or the strength to move. She felt her right hand clench, as if she was extorting a lot of power.

"Please… Stop…" Other whispers emerged.

"W-who…" Korra's voice failed. The white scenery grew a little bit darker, almost greyish.

"Korra! Stop!" The voice was close by now and Korra tensed when she heard her name. She's Korra, the Avatar! Panic blinded her as a silhouette was formed right in front of her. A man, falling to his knees, gasping for air. She didn't understand what was going on.

Out of nowhere a warmth circled around her waist as something was slowly pulling her down.

"It's okay…" The faint words soothed Korra's panic. She slowly shut her eyes, replacing light with darkness.

* * *

With a sharp inhale Korra shot up. Her body trembled as she heaved for more air. _Where am I!? What's going on!? Asami! _She struggled with the sheets as she threw her legs over the edge of the bed. In one movement she stood and walked towards the door, only to sway from side to side. She was dizzy and holding onto the edge of a wardrobe was the only thing preventing her from colliding with the hard floor.

"Air Temple Island." Korra told herself as she recognized her own room. _We were in the desert. Asami had slipped through the door. I have to find Yamamoto! _Korra slowly puzzled events together. She remembered busting the security system and Mako yelling at her. She also recalled the door opening and… Her eyes grew wide as her mind showed her something she didn't want to see.

She pushed herself into the hallway and walked through it as best as she could. Her first steps were uneven and wobbly, but soon Korra regained her footing. She reached the door next to her room. It was the guest room where Asami would usually stay before she and Korra started sharing a room. Korra stepped inside. It was empty. The bed laid untouched.

Korra walked further into the room. _No, no, no… You got to be here._ She wandered around, looking in every corner. After her short search she sat down on the bed. She felt her energy leave her as she tried not to think the worse, but her thoughts couldn't be stopped.

A sniffle broke the silence as Korra noticed tears running down her face. Her shoulders involuntarily shocked every time a sob pushed itself forward.

"Korra? Are you there?" Korra didn't look up, instead she buried her face in her hands. "Oh, Korra. It's okay. It's going to be alright." Pema walked up to the bed to sit next to the Avatar.

"No, it's not! I lost her. It only took a moment." Korra blurted out.

"Who did you lose? Asami?" Pema asked. Korra looked up. Why did Pema act like it was no big deal? Asami was part of the family, ever since she stayed on the island after her father's betrayal.

"Korra, Asami is alright. It was you that got us all worried." Pema told Korra while rubbing circles on her back to calm her down.

"She is?" Hope sprung from Korra's voice.

"Yes, she has a slight concussion, but nothing to life-threating. You were out for three days. Asami hasn't left your side, but she had something important to do in the city. She promised to get back as soon as possible." Korra jumped up. She had to see Asami. She believed every word Pema had said, but she had to see for herself. The image of Asami lying motionless on the ground was still lingering inside her head. She needed to physically hold Asami, make sure she was still here.

"Where in the city?" Pema looked at her in concern, assessing if Korra was strong enough to go to the city.

"Police station." Pema knew there was no stopping Korra now.

"Thanks." Korra ran out of the door, through the hallway, leaving Air Temple Island behind.

* * *

"Asami, you're back." Jun stated matter-of-factly as Asami entered the cell. This time Jun wasn't chained and he looked a lot happier than the last time Asami had visited him, which made the pain in her heart worse.

"You look beaten up." Jun continued as Asami sat down in silence. There were Band-Aids on her face and one side was slightly purple due to a big bruise. Her arm was in a swing and her clothes were hiding more bandages.

"I was…" Asami mumbled. She was organizing her thoughts, deciding on which sentences she had to say first.

"I heard Yamamoto is done. That's… good." There was an hesitation in Jun's voice.

"You heard? Are you okay?" Asami asked, realizing that Yamamoto might have meant more to Jun than he had led on. He shrugged his shoulders.

"It was bound to happen. Just an end of an era. It was worth it though, I got my real family in return." Asami swallowed at that statement. She couldn't help but grow pale, but she refused to break eye-contact.

"Jun… I am sorry…" Jun grew silent as he looked Asami right back into her eyes. His relaxed manner changed. His mouth turned into a thin line. "We tried to… It was too late… Yamamoto…"

"No… No! I trusted you!" Jun suddenly lurched forward in anger to grab Asami who didn't make any movement to avoid his attack. Before he could reach over the table a guard stepped inside the room and flung two metal bands at his wrists, attaching them to the metal table.

"You lied! I should have ended you while I could!" Jun kept on yelling as Asami felt two hands grab her under her shoulders, helping her up. She looked back and saw Mako, concern and anger in his eyes. Asami felt the blood retreat from her face as she got dizzy. She let Mako help her out of the cell as she barely registered the hateful words Jun kept throwing at her.

"Here, have some water." Mako said as they were out of the room. Asami sat down, not able to stand. Her head pounded, but she didn't know if it was from the concussion or the guilt. She weakly accepted the glass held in front of her, taking a sip.

"Are you okay? He had no right to say that." Bolin said. Asami had told Bolin and Mako about Jun and how he was her cousin, so they would let her go see him.

"He is just reacting. He needs time." Asami said as she regained her strength.

"Still, you know it's not your fault." Mako added. Asami didn't want to hear it.

"I need to get back to Korra." She decided as she stood.

"Alright." Mako offered his arm to support her, but Asami declined his help as she walked straight past him. Mako rolled his eyes as he followed Asami.

* * *

"I got to see her!" A voice welcomed them as they stepped into the main hall.

"She's seeing Shin at the moment. I try to run an organized police station here. So wait." Lin said in her angry voice.

"You don't get it! I need to…"

"Korra?" Asami asked in surprise as she saw the Avatar yell at the chief while uncomfortable police officers were surrounding them.

"Asami!" Korra yelped as she ran up to her. She immediately flung her arms around Asami, burying her face into Asami's hair. Asami grunted softly at the impact, but held Korra closed to herself with her good arm. "I… I thought you were gone, but you're here. I had to make sure." Korra murmured against her.

"It's okay. I'm here for real." Asami whispered back. The couple were pulled back into reality when they felt another pair of arms around them.

"Hmmm.. Bolin?" Korra said, feeling quite annoyed that her friend had ruined the moment.

"Sorry, it was such a nice hug and you're awake!" Bolin excused himself as everyone let each other go.

"And still in pyjamas." Asami noted, smiling when Korra turned a little red.

"You know that you are causing a scene." Lin interrupted. Korra turned around to see every officer in the hall staring at them.

"Maybe we should talk somewhere private…" Asami suggested.

"There is an interrogation room free on the end of the hall. Room six." Mako offered. "It's good to see you up and running again." He added.

"Thanks." Korra said as she followed Asami out of the main hall. Bolin was ready to turn as well but was stopped by Mako's hand on his shoulder.

"I think Asami meant just the two of them when she said 'we'."

"Oh, sure. Of course." Bolin said scratching the back of his neck.

"It's that you have saved the city a couple of times or else I would have banned Team Avatar from this station a long time ago." Lin rolled her eyes. She looked around as her officers were still standing around. "Now everyone back to work! I want reports, not blank stares!" She yelled before going back to her own office.

* * *

Asami sat down on one of the chairs since her side was hurting from the walk. Korra carefully closed the door, making sure they were alone.

"You're hurt. Why didn't they heal you properly?" Korra asked as she joined Asami, placing the other chair next to her.

"It's nothing. How are you?" Korra wanted to protest, tell her that it wasn't nothing. The bruised state of Asami's face broke her heart. But she let it go for now, since Asami's eyes were full of worry.

"I'm actually fine. I woke up. Can't remember a lot from the desert." Korra answered honestly. Her memory was a blank, except for the image she didn't want to remember. She shifted uneasy in her chair as Asami grabbed her hand. Asami slowly moved her thumb over Korra's knuckles, encouraging her to go on.

"I… I saw you. Laying on the ground." Korra swallowed.

"You lost control. You almost…" Asami's words died down when Korra though about the silhouette of the choking man. She had a strange sensation in her hands, as if she was airbending. She closed her eyes, seeing the man fall to his knees.

"Korra? Korra?" A warm hand glided over her knee. Korra grabbed the hand and noticed how shaky she felt.

"I killed him. I choked him like Zaheer choked me." Tears sprung into her eyes. How could she do something so horrible? Korra knew how terrible it felt to feel the air leave your lungs, something nobody deserved to feel, even Yamamoto.

"Shhh, he's not dead. You stopped in time." Asami said, squeezing Korra's hand. Korra let out a sigh of relieve, but she still felt disgusted with herself. "You weren't yourself. You were in some sort of trance."

"I never lost control like that…" Korra murmured.

"Tenzin said that Aang had a similar reaction when he found out what had happened to his people."

"But he didn't try to kill someone."

"But he almost destroyed a temple." Korra looked up into Asami's eyes. She couldn't help but chuckle a little. Asami always had to have the last word.

"How did things get so bad?" Korra whispered, raising her hand to softly cup Asami's bruised cheek. Asami moved, nuzzling into the contact.

"It's over now…" Asami's voice sounded distant as if there were a million words she didn't want to utter.

"Are you okay? You really need a healer. I can take care of your arm." Korra offered.

"No… I need to heal on myself." Asami bit her lip before she continued. "My aunt. Akena, she didn't make it. I…" Asami turned away and Korra could she how she swallowed down her emotions.

"Asami… I'm so sorry."

"It was bound to happen. She… I just wish that she had a chance to see her son." Asami said as she turned back, a watery smile on her face.

"Her son?"

"Shin, his real name is Jun. He was kidnapped by Yamamoto when he was little. He's my cousin." Korra looked at Asami in shock. She couldn't believe that that arrogant creep was related to Asami. Slowly the words repeated themselves inside her head.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. I found out when I tracked him down." Things started to fall into place inside Korra's head. Asami's obsession with saving Shin. How he was so willing to give her the location of Yamamoto's base. "I always wanted a family." Asami's eyes turned shallow again. Korra recognized the look. It was the same look she had when Korra tried to talk about Hiroshi. She had seen it on their vacation to the Spirit World. How Asami would lock herself down when grief would overtake her. Korra hadn't mentioned it then, not wanting to ruin their time together, but now she was regretting that.

"It's not your fault." Was all that came to Korra's mind. The words didn't reach Asami.

"Forget it. We need to move on."

"No we don't!" Korra said a little louder than she had meant to. "You can grief. You can tell me."

"It hurts, but it will pass. You need to…"

"I don't need anything. I know you are hurting. You were hurting too after your father passed away and I didn't say anything. I know you brought Pai Sho to the spirit world because it reminds you of him. I should have said something then. I love you, I can help you. Let me help." Korra's words sounded almost like a plea, flowing out of her mouth like a waterfall. She hated to see Asami like this.

"I… I…" Asami swallowed as her face slipped. Thick tears rolled down. She thought that she had kept her grieve away from Korra, so that they could make the most of their time together. Now she realised tht Korra had always noticed. It made her heart swell with love, but also break under the pain she felt due to losing her family.

"It's okay." Korra whispered as she rubbed Asami's back.

"I wanted to talk to Akena about my mother. My memories of her are getting muddy and I wanted to hear the stories. What she liked to do when she was a teenager. What her dreams were. I wanted my aunt to remind me. I wanted back my family. I wanted to give my cousin his family back." When Asami found her voice all her doubts and grieve rushed out.

"I let her slip through my fingers, like I let my mother and father slip away."

"You know that's not true." Asami looked up, by now her eyes were red from crying.

"I should have stopped her. She died to safe me." Asami softly protested.

"Then I shouldn't have hesitated when I could take Yamamoto down. Mako and Bolin shouldn't have been captured." An expression of confusion appeared in Asami's eyes. "It's all our fault and for that I am sorry. But you can't only blame yourself."

"I know…" Asami whispered, but Korra wasn't convinced that she meant it.

"Is that why you don't want to get healed?"

"I don't want to erase what has happened. Maybe if can heal these wounds on my own, I can also heal inside."

"You know that you shouldn't remember your aunt through pain. You should remember her through the good things she left you. The feeling that you're not alone. Your cousin." Asami let out another sob before wiping her eyes. She gave Korra a weak and tired smile.

"You are quite wise."

"You know that there are centuries of wisdom and experience inside of me right? Being the Avatar and all." Korra said with a grin.

"I know, but for me you're Korra."

"So you don't think I'm wise and smart?"

"I think you are my favourite person and I love you." Asami moved forward, throwing her good arm around Korra's shoulders. Korra returned the embrace, holding her securely in her arms. Korra smiled into the black hair covering her face now. It would take a lot of time to heal, but at least Asami started to open up to her.

* * *

**Phew, another one! Sorry for the wait (I have a new job and it's very time consuming, as jobs are supposed to be I guess). I think there is still one more chapter to come. So thanks for reading and stick around. (And sorry for ay grammar mistakes, I didn't take the usual time to correct this since I really wanted to post a new chapter as fast as possible).**

**P.s.: I am sorry for killing Akena. I already had written that bit before I could read the comments :P. It wouldn't have changed a lot, but still. I hope it didn't ruin it all, but all the potential danger needed a consequence.**


	17. Now and Forever

**Now and Forever**

* * *

"Hold on, we're almost there." Asami didn't know how she was able to speak or sit up. She knew she was hurt, but exhaustion muted her senses, so she wasn't sure about her own state. The worried faces around her gave the message loud and clear though.

"Tell me… tell me about him." Akena's eyes had lost their brightness and sometimes they couldn't stay focussed on Asami's face. Whenever the jeep hit a bump, Akena's face became paler.

"He's very smart. He makes his own automobiles. He's resourceful. He doesn't easily give up." Asami started to sum up the characteristics of her cousin, leaving the darker parts out of her description.

"Jun…" It was more a sigh than a word.

"He's waiting for you. He really wants to see you." Asami continued, she wiped some hairs out of Akena's face.

"Please… You… Please take care of him…"

"I will, so will you." Akena grabbed Asami's hand with a surprising amount of strength and determination.

"Take care of him. Take care of… Jun." In a loss for words Asami kept nodding at Akena's plea. She felt the hand around her own weaken. Akena's lips moved, but didn't say anything anymore. Her eyes grew dimmer. Her body went slack and Asami knew it was too late.

* * *

Asami opened her eyes. Her nightgown stuck to her in cold sweat. She groaned a little when she tried to reposition herself. The air was humid, even though the windows were open and let in a midnight breeze.

"Same nightmare again?" A sleepy voice asked next to her. Asami felt a warm arm slide over her waist and a body pressed against her back.

"Yes…" She simply whispered, trying to melt into the embrace. "It's more a memory than a dream." Korra placed a lazy kiss on Asami's shoulder.

After the arrest of Yamamoto, Korra and Asami were trying to go back to normal. Asami had promised to be more open about her fears and worries. It was hard for her. Korra could see the strain in Asami's face whenever she tried to talk about her parents or her responsibilities in general.

Korra also found out that Asami didn't toss or turn when she had a nightmare. Her breathing only slightly changed. After that she would wake up and usually go downstairs for a glass of water. Korra trained herself to catch the small changes in Asami's sleeping pattern so she could comfort her, like Asami had done for her after Zaheer.

"It will go away." Korra yawned.

"Maybe." Asami sighed as she gently moved Korra's arm and sat up.

"Where are you going?"

"Nowhere… Just stretching." Asami answered as she smiled back at Korra. Korra could make out the faint scars on Asami's back through her nightgown. She swallowed. It was somehow still hard for her to accept Asami's mortality. When Korra had given herself to Zaheer to free the airbenders, she had made peace with the fact that she would one day not partake in the physical world. Realising that Asami was ascribed the same fate was harder to accept, definitely after everything they have been through. She wished she could contact Aang or the other Avatars for advice. How they protected their loved ones and dealt with the fact that they were always in danger.

"Hey, I thought I was the brooding one." Asami teased as she laid back down and saw the distant look in Korra's eyes.

"What would Aang say?" Korra asked, lifting her arm to let Asami get closer.

"About nightmares?"

"About everything." Asami chuckled.

"A lot I guess." She answered as she rested her head on Korra's chest.

"That's probably true." Korra laughed as she kept wondering how Aang managed to have a perfect marriage and raise three children besides being the Avatar. Korra really wanted some peace for herself and her friends, but that peace always seemed to get shattered whenever she got too comfortable.

Korra's attention was caught by the sound of soft snoring. Asami was out again, drooling a little on her shoulder. Korra strengthened her embrace. Aang drifted out of her thoughts as she focussed on the hypnotizing sound of Asami's breathing.

* * *

"Can you believe it!?" Asami almost choked on her morning tea when Korra stormed into the kitchen. She was red in the face with anger. "He didn't say a word! Not a word!" Korra yelled as she threw the paper on the table in front of Asami. Asami didn't need to read the headline to know what Korra was talking about. Yamamoto's trial ended today in the Earth Republic. During his trial he had kept silent. He got a life sentence though.

"Korra, I…"

"I mean the lives he has destroyed! He could at least say sorry or defend himself!" Korra went on, slamming some slices of bread on a plate. Asami set her cup down and moved her hands through her hair. "I should have been there! Charge him with all the crimes he…" Korra stopped mid-sentence as she turned around. Asami was sitting motionless at the table, her head hung in her hands.

"Asami, are you okay?" Korra asked as she made her way to Asami's side.

"I'm tired Korra." Asami looked up. "I want to focus on us. I want to be the CEO of my company and rebuild the Republic City. I honestly don't care if Yamamoto is sorry or if he will ever make his apologies. I just want to live again." Asami's honesty hit Korra hard. In the scheme of things, this trial was a mockery. The damage was done. Nothing Yamamoto could do would bring back the dead or compensate the ones that were hurt. It was all patchwork.

"You know I want to move on too. But after everything he has done to you, to all of us, it's hard to forgive him." Korra tried to explain her outburst.

"Amon, Unalaq, Zaheer, Kuvira. They had hurt people and you found it in your heart to forgive them." Asami whispered.

"I know. But that took a long time. Yamamoto has hit me closer to my heart. After Zaheer I thought I had nothing to lose anymore, but then I realised I had everything to lose. My family, my friends… you." Asami gave Korra a loving smile.

"I hope loving us is worth the anxiety." She half-joked. Korra chuckled. There was no amount of pain or struggle that could convince her to stop loving everyone she had in her life.

"I'm sorry. I let myself go." Korra sighed. Asami shook her head an walked over to the kitchen sink to put her plate and cup in it.

"It's okay, I understand. I wish I could be more angry, but I guess I just don't have the energy anymore." Now Asami had mentioned it two times, Korra saw how tired she looked. Her shoulders were slumping forward a little bit and her eyes had a dimness to them.

"Don't push yourself too hard." Korra tried to warn her girlfriend, knowing that Asami won't listen anyway.

"Today is an easy day. I have to overlook some building sites, revise some blueprints and go visit Jun." Asami summed up. Asami looked Korra straight in her eyes when she said her cousin's name. About the time Jun stood trial, Asami had dropped all her charges against him. She had promised to take care of him and she wanted him out of jail as soon as possible. She knew Korra wasn't a fan of that plan, but she had kept quiet about it. After Jun was sentences to four years, three years on good behaviour, Asami had visited him often. He first was still angry at her about his mother, but soon he started to warm up to her. They made plans for when he would be released. Asami would give him a job at Future Industries. She needed to create this future with her cousin. It almost replaced all the hate and despair she felt when she thought of Yamamoto.

"Alright." Korra said in a small voice. She still didn't like Jun. She knew he was Asami's only family, but she could only see his face in an evil grin, waiting to hurt Asami again.

"I'll see you in the evening?" Asami decided to change the subject.

"I think I have to stay late at Air Temple Island. After dinner, Tenzin wants to talk with me about the new city council."

"Then I'll see you later." Asami said. She kissed Korra on her cheek as she walked by.

"Have a nice day!" Korra yelled after her.

"You too!"

* * *

"I'm pretty sure that's cheating!" Meelo yelled as Bum-Ju flew in front of his face while Bumi hit him with a strong puff of air.

"Zero for you and three for your old uncle here!" Bumi laughed. Korra took in the airbending slash wrestling match from afar. A few feet away from Bumi and Meelo was Kya, helping Rohan stand and walk around. The display looked idyllic, like all was good in the world.

"How did your father manage it?" Korra asked as she turned to Tenzin who was meditating next to her.

"How did he do what?" Tenzin mumbled as he opened his eyes.

"Have three kids and be a successful Avatar." Korra elaborated. She saw how Tenzin looked into the distance to his siblings and his two sons.

"My father didn't do that on his own. My mother helped him." Tenzin simply said.

"But still… The world kept charging at him, threating to hurt him and his family. Villains could have come for you and Katara." Tenzin turned towards Korra. He saw real concern in her eyes and figured that this was about more than just his father.

"The world saw him as the Avatar. Demanding help from him or trying to overthrow him. But when he got home he was Aang, not the Avatar. I think having us and being married to my mother tied him to the earth. Making him an human instead of just a legend." Tenzin tried to explain.

"Well, he did a good job." Korra mumbled. She wondered if she ever could anchor herself to the earth like that. She really wanted to, but danger was always around. She had almost left Asami because Yamamoto had messed with her mind. What if she really had hurt her or any one of her friends?

"Love is a risk we always have to take." Tenzin said as he laid his hand on Korra's shoulders. Korra looked up in shock, but soon her features softened. After all those years it shouldn't be a surprise that Tenzin could read her mind like that.

"Hello there." A familiar voice emerged from behind them.

"Oh, Asami, what brings you to the island this evening?" Tenzin said as he looked behind him.

"Pema invited me for dinner." Asami said with a smile. "I hope I didn't interrupt anything?"

"No, no. Korra and I were just talking. You can take over as I will check on that dinner." Tenzin said, thinking that Asami just came right on time. He stood up and walked away.

"So, how are you?" Asami asked as she took Tenzin's place next to Korra in the grass.

"Good, you?"

"Great." Asami looked at Meelo jumping on Bumi's back, tossing him over while he kept striking his uncle with wind, making Bumi's hair stand in all directions. "Should we do something before Bumi gets killed?" Asami asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nah, Kya is near. Nothing will happen." As soon as Korra had said that they saw how Kya laughed and bended a steady stream of water against the side of her brother's face. "Hmmm, she probably know what she is doing…" Korra mumbled. She shared a worried look with Asami before they both erupted in laughter.

Korra sighed happily as she leaned in closer to Asami, resting her head on her shoulder.

"Remember when we sat around here after Varrick's wedding?" Asami said dreamily as she stared at the spirit portal up ahead.

"I took you to the spirit world." Korra joined in the happy memory.

"You were so nervous! It was cute."

"I was not nervous!" Korra protested, sitting up again to pout at Asami.

"Yes you were. You kept on blurring out random facts whenever there was a silence between us. I remember wanting to kiss you and you kept turning away or cough whenever I got near." Asami laughed.

"I did kiss you eventually." Korra mumbled, returning to her comforting position.

"That's very true and I'm happy that you did." Asami said. Korra smiled at the memory. She wanted to show Asami so much and she was scared that Asami was going to hate it all. But in the end Asami had loved everything, including Korra herself. Just when they were getting more comfortable with each other and Korra finally started to get used to the idea that Asami was more than a friend, Jinora had interrupted them.

"Let's go back."

"What?" Asami asked in surprise.

"Let's take another vacation in the Spirit World. There is still so much I want to show you." Korra turned to face Asami. Asami saw that Korra was dead serious.

"I don't know. Things are just getting back to normal."

"Come on! We both need some rest. This time I won't turn away if you try to kiss me." Asami laughed.

"Alright. You can take me anywhere." Asami gave in, pecking Korra lips. "But this time I really want a tent. I like how you attract curious spirits, but I don't need them around all the time."

"Deal." Korra smiled, kissing Asami again. It felt right and easy, like the world was really an idyllic place with just some short periods of turmoil. _Now I know what my new step is…_ Korra thought as she leaned further into the kiss.

* * *

Jun sighed as he was escorted to the visitors hall. It was a vast space and always noisy. Voices bouncing off the concrete walls. Usually Asami would arrange for a cell or interrogation room for her visits. She once admitted that the hall reminded her too much of her father. So it did surprise Jun that he was summoned to the visitors hall this afternoon.

"Jun…" Blue eyes followed him with suspicion as he sat down across from the Avatar. He couldn't help but grin. Korra had never visited him, only once with Asami and she hadn't said a word back then.

"Avatar Korra, what an honour." Jun looked around, seeing the curious looks of his fellow inmates.

"I'm only here for Asami." Korra spoke.

"Don't worry. I guessed that much." Jun asked.

"But we also need to get along." Korra explained. It was hard for her to look at Jun and not see the terrible man that plotted to kill Asami. But she had to try, even though he still wore the same arrogant look on his face.

"I'm in prison. I'm sure you can work around me." Jun countered.

"After three years you're not." Korra remarked. _Three years._ Jun thought. It was both a long and a short time. Short, since his sentence should be longer. He had given Asami hell after he heard about his mother. Still she had pleaded with the court to lower his sentence. And after that she had come to visit on a regular basis, even when Jun was still horrible to her. It took him weeks to accustom to the love his cousin was showing him. Asami was building a new garage for him to use for when he would get out. If he wanted he could work as a creative designer at Future Industries. It warmed his heart, although he would never admit to that.

"So what is your plan? Sit and talk about our dislikes and hobbies?" Jun heard the sarcasm in his own voice. He couldn't help it. He was taught to keep an 'healthy' distance from people. Letting Asami get close was already an hard enough task.

"That's a start. I hate politics and my hobbies usually involve bending." Korra said. Jun was taken aback by this. Korra's face looked cold and defensive, rather than friendly and open. Her answer however was genuine.

"I hate chaos, as my hobby I read. It's the only thing I can do around here." Jun tried to answer in honesty. He saw how Korra shifted in her chair. She looked around, like she wanted to say something that shouldn't be overheard.

"I really want to like you. You mean a lot to Asami and her family is my family, so… You can't be harder to like than my cousins." There was a surprising tone of humour in Korra's voice, even though she spoke softly this time. It took Jun a while to realise that the Avatar had just made a joke.

"Ah… They sound like my kind of people."

"Owh, you will love Eska." Korra grinned despite of feeling awkward. Jun raised a bemused eyebrow. All of a sudden he could see Korra's appeal. A glimpse of her loving nature, instead of the fierce combative attitude she had back when they were still enemies.

After Korra's remark about her cousins their conversation went on a little easier. Korra told about how she came to love Republic City and how different it was from the tundra where she grew up. Jun told her about the desert where he had spent most of his childhood. How he would make sandcastles by mixing the dry sand with water.

"I got to go. This was… sort of nice?" Korra said after a while. Jun nodded, he had actually enjoyed himself.

"Thanks for giving me a chance." Jun looked away, he was not good in all this emotional stuff.

"Like I said, we are practically family." Korra smiled as she walked towards the exit.

* * *

Asami stretched out her arms and yawned. Light was pricking through the fabric of the tent, giving the small space an orange glow. _Right, spirit world. _Asami thought. She pulled her legs up to wiggle out of her sleeping bag. Her head felt heavy. Last night wasn't an easy night for her. Maybe it was the thought of being on holiday and letting go that brought back the anxiety and loss she had put away deep inside of her. What was supposed to be a romantic evening ended in sobs.

Asami bit her lip, feeling guilty for letting her emotions get the best of her. She knew Korra didn't mind, but it wasn't a fun way to start their vacation.

Without changing into her normal clothes Asami zipped the tent open.

"Good morning sleepy head!" Korra practically cheered when she heard the zipper. It was light outside, but the giant tree under which their camp was set up, gave a pleasant shade.

"You're cheerful this morning." Asami smiled as she climbed further out of the tent.

"It doesn't happen often that I wake up earlier than you. So I took the chance to make you a wonderful spirit world breakfast."Korra declared, presenting the breakfast she had laid out on a blanket.

"Wow, you really went for it." Asami smiled, already forgetting the terrible night before. She sat across from Korra, taking in the spread of fresh picked fruits, sweet bread and a tea. "Pai Sho?" Asami asked with a raised eyebrow as she saw the board, set up and ready to be played.

"Yeah, I thought we could play while eating. I think I finally cracked the game!" Korra answered as she poured in some tea for herself and Asami.

"Really?"

"There is no way I'm going to lose now. After hours of meditation I got my tactic down." Korra insisted, daring Asami with her eyes. "I'm even so confident that I want to make it a little bit more interesting. The winner gets something from the loser." Asami narrowed her eyes, pretending to mull over the challenge. She knew that Korra was bluffing, why she was bluffing to such an extend she didn't know. Maybe she just wanted to cheer Asami up.

"Challenge accepted." Asami figured that she would win and she might have an idea or two what she wanted from Korra. Besides, if she did lose, giving Korra something wasn't such a bad prospect as well. "Since you have your tactic down, why don't you start?" Asami offered, taking a careful bite from a sweet fruit that looked like a plum.

"You already accepted you imminent loss?" Korra said with a smirk as she moved her first piece.

"Hmmm, the Western Rock opening, interesting." Asami grinned, taking some time before moving her own piece.

"You know that it's creepy that you can name every opening." Korra remarked. Asami shrugged her shoulders.

"As long as I'm your creep." Korra laughed at that statement and moved another piece. In-between sipping tea and eating breakfast the pieces moved around. Asami had already seen some opportunities to win, but she was curious where Korra was going to take this game. She wanted to figure out her special tactic. After a couple of rounds it became clear that Korra was all over the place, whatever tactic she had, it didn't work out. It became a pain for Asami to not openly let Korra survive another turn.

Within her next turn Asami broke through Korra's defences and defeated her.

"Seems like you need to meditate a little longer." Asami joked with a sweet smile.

"Oh spirits. I really thought this was going to turn out differently." Korra said, but her voice sounded more relieved than annoyed by her loss.

"So how about a kiss to pay off your debt?" Asami suggested.

"I didn't say you got to choose what you get from me." Korra countered, leaving a surprised look on Asami's face. _What is she up to?_ Asami wondered, watching Korra turn and grab something from her backpack that laid behind her in the grass. When she turned back around she had a flat black box in her hands. The gears in Asami's head really started to turn now.

"I know this is sudden and you can always decline my gift, but I want to ask you…" Korra swallowed and opened the box with trembling hands. It took Asami a while to realise what the small emblem with the Southern Water tribe symbol attached to a blue ribbon meant.

"A betrothal necklace." Asami whispered under her breath, stunned by what was happening.

"Asami Sato, will you marry me?" Korra blurted out as soon as she found the courage. Asami's eyes were still fixed on the box. "I can always change the symbol or the colour of the ribbon. This is just traditional and…"

"Yes…" The soft spoken word interrupted Korra's nervous utterances.

"W-what?"

"Yes. Yes, of course!" Asami smiled, blinking away a tear. "I don't care what colour it is. As long as it's from you." Korra lurched forward, throwing over the tea in the process to close Asami in a tight hug. Asami laughed as some tears of happiness wetted Korra's shoulder.

"You planned this all along. You had no tactic." Asami murmured. Korra pulled back laughing. Every other person would let that part go and just focus on getting engaged, but Asami had to analyse everything.

"Yes, and it was hard to lose. You really went easy on me. For I while I was scared that you would actually let me win."

"Sorry…" Asami said softly, wiping more tears from her eyes.

"Don't be silly. I would have asked you the second time around." Korra looked at Asami with her dishevelled hair and sleepy face. Asami was a perfectionist, only going out when her outfit, hair and make-up were in place. But Korra loved her like this. Carefree and loose. She reached forward and cupped Asami's face in both hands.

"How about I still give you what you asked of me."

"T-that would be very generous of you." Asami smiled. Korra closed the space between them, kissing her fiancé for the first time and she immediately knew that this was the best choice she had ever made.

* * *

**The end! Thank you all for reading this fic and staying with it, even though I almost abandoned it. I hope the end was worth the long (way too long) wait.**

**Lots of love,**

**RyneC**


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